The Cloud that Swallowed the Stars
by Lightning of the West
Summary: They've taken everything away from me. My Clan, my friends, but most importantly my mate. They've caused me ruin and because of it I will not rest until I have destroyed every last one of them.
1. Prologue

**A/N: My first story for the Warriors fandom. Let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

_**My pain runs deep, my hate is endless, and my anger knows no bound.**_

My chest has a gaping hole in it where my heart should've been; I lost it when my love died. My life has lost its spark, my heart its love, my soul its morality. My mind roars with rage while blinded by hate. I'm only a shell of my former life now that should've died moons ago, but the hatred has kept my body sustained.

They think they're so powerful, don't they? Watching from up there in their cozy little home in the sanctuary of the stars while they make other cats suffer. They think they're so wise and perfect when in reality they're only a bunch of dead cats who can't face the facts that their reign in the living world is over, and that they should move on into obscurity. Because of them I've lost everything; my Clan, my friends, but most of all my mate.

How I hate them. StarClan.

I lived my entire life as an obedient pawn under their watchful eye. I served my Clan with pride, defended our borders, and helped hunt to keep them fed and safe at night. Everything I did was for them, everything! But why is it when I finally decide to do something for myself that I'm the one being unfairly punished!

I know the code. I've had its law imprinted into my mind at the early age of an apprentice fresh out of the nursery. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but so what? For the first time in my life I was doing something freely of my own gain and happiness, and not of what they wanted.

That's what it all keeps coming back to, doesn't it? StarClan has it set in their narrow minded view of Clan life that they can just decree and rule over what they see fit concerning Clan life. I suppose that also includes matters of the heart as well. I won't live the life of a coward like them and not own up to my actions.

I fell in love with a cat from another Clan, and StarClan hated it.

They hated the fact that I was happy. They hated that I was happy and that my happiness wasn't due to their tangled web of lies and deceit. I loved my mate like I have never loved anyone else before; I loved my mate more than I loved my Clan; but most importantly, I loved my mate more than I cared to love and serve StarClan, and they hated it.

I've already lost count of the many failed attempts where they tried to intimidate me in my dreams over my love affair. The countless omens of death they whispered I can still hear in the recesses of my mind today. I took all their taunts and abuse until I couldn't stand it anymore. They were jealous of what I had, I knew this, but I never would have expected them to go so far to claim their revenge.

I'll never forget the day that my mate lovingly told me that she was pregnant with our kits. I can't even begin to describe the joy and elation I felt at realization that I was going to be a father. There were so many factors I hadn't thought to take into consideration, like what was this mean to my career as the ThunderClan deputy, or how would it affect our love lives? At the time we were merely two young cats helplessly in love, and that was enough for the both of us.

I went on portraying the happy role as ThunderClan's proud and fearless deputy, but in reality I was only focused on being a father. What would my kits look like? Would they grow up to be strong and fierce warriors as their father of ThunderClan, or shrewd compassionate medicine cats like their mother of RiverClan? There were so many factors to take into play as I've already stated before, but of course we were only two young and foolish cats in love, and that's how everything came crashing down upon me from then on.

Blood, there was so much blood. The day I was supposed to meet my mate to plan the future of our kits lives was the day that her life ended. I found her fearfully shrieking in pain, covered in a pool of her own blood. She was giving birth to the kits, but something had gone terribly wrong. I comforted her as best as I could, as she gave birth to stillborn after stillborn of dead kits while endlessly shrieking in pain. I looked towards the heavens and asked StarClan for help. No. I pleaded and cried for help! I groveled like the helpless pawn they were accustomed to having, but did they save her? _**NO!**_

Can you even imagine what it's like to watch the one person you love most in the world die?

I hadn't realized the crying of my mate's final death in this world would gather a crowd. At the time I suppose I was too submerged in my own grief to notice the arrival of our two Clans, we had after all decided to meet where the boundary divided them. I won't get into much specifics of what happen that day, as I'm not sure I remember much of it myself. All you need to know is that I was stripped of my rank as deputy, and exiled from my Clan as a code breaker, traitor, and murderer.

Fine, I can accept that punishment. I attest to this tragedy and take full responsibility for the part I played in the death of my mate, but StarClan has yet to pay. I know they had a hand in my mate's death, and I'm not going to rest until every last one of them pays for what they've done.

You may be asking however, how I, a mortal cat planned to take revenge on a group of already dead cats. I had doubts myself that it was even possible, but I've found a way.

In the darkest recesses of every Clan cats heart is a small shred of darkness, no matter how pure the cat. All I had to do was widen darkness within my heart, and then I next found myself in a forest completely barred of any light, but more importantly the watchful glittering eyes of the stars known as StarClan. I'd heard stories of this place as a kit, but it was even more surreal to be standing personally in the hell known as the Dark Forest.

I didn't have long to wait for the natives to give me greetings at my arrival. The moment I arrived there was already a group of menacing figures of a welcoming committee waiting for me, and the largest of them, a large gray and black striped tom stepped forward to introduce himself.

"Welcome to the Dark Forest, Cloudstorm. I am Icefrost, and we hear you're looking for a way to right the wrongs been committed against you?"

"Yes!" I growled menacingly, as the group of dark cats surrounded me. "Teach me how to cast a deadly cloud over the stars."


	2. Chapter 1: It's About Sending A Message

**A/N: First off I'd like to start by giving special thanks to KatMCR, Amber342, Priceless Cat Lady, Scarheart of Darkclan, winterthaw of thunderclan, and Lunara the ara for all reviewing the prologue. This is the most reviews I have ever received for one chapter of a story and I'm simply blown away at the overwhelming response it garnered. Now before you begin reading I think it's only fair that I warn you that near the end of the chapter things get a bit graphic and over the top. I've done my best to tone that certain part down and keep tame as possible, but you should start to expect things like this happening since this is a dark protagonist fic after all, and things tend to get, well dark. Anyway let me know how you think I handled the first official chapter of the story and here's a little something for you all to think about before reading. What's the best way to grab the full attention of Starclan?**

**Chapter 1: It's about sending a message**

_**Ominous whispers promise pain and destruction, Sadistic laughter calls for mindless mayhem, and blood curdling screams order endless violence and murder. **_

Six moons later, and the pain still burns. It's like an old wound that refuses to heal, and I'm not sure that I want it to. My pain drives me. It drives me to keep moving on even after all this time. It drives me to bare the chilling dying screams of my mate that plague my dreams at night, but most importantly it drives me on to seek retribution.

_**Revenge.**_

It's all about revenge now. Revenge is my driving force; it's the only thing that keeps me moving forward. As I looked towards the dark horizon of the night sky I realize now more than ever that I have to kill them to fill the missing void that was her love. It's all I live for now and tonight I start my war against the stars.

The night was dark, enveloped in a blanket of darkness that shrouded the entire clearing in an eerie shadow. A shroud of fog was layered carefully throughout the air, accompanied by a slight chill as the night's temperature dropped. Overhead the stars of the night sky could be seen sparkling brightly in a fit similar to that of uncontained and uncontrolled fire burning unchallenged.

But of course that was all about to change.

It seemed only fitting that the beginning of my conquest of the stars would be held right here underneath their watchful eyes. Tonight would be the beginning alright. Tonight I delivered the first strike. Tonight I hit them where it hurt most. Tonight, well tonight it was all about sending a message.

The soft crunch of paw pads could be heard trailing over the soft undergrowth of the forest floor. My ears perked slightly at the incoming sound of two warm bodies making their way through the sharp twigs and branches of bushes. For a brief moment all that could be heard was the loud tussle and rustle of the bushes as the two cats' transversed their way through, but upon further inspection of the two progressing cats, a soft murmur of conversation between them could just be made out.

"Are you sure this is the right direction StarClan told you to lead me in, Goldenshine?" The voice was that of a fully matured cat, clearly feminine that held that almost unnoticeable edge of authority and wisdom that came with old age and many moons of experience. Her companion in tow however was exactly the opposite of her.

"Y-yes, Le-Leafbreeze," the young tom's voice trembled slightly. "StarClan relayed this place to me several times in my dreams before I had it memorized. I'm positive that we're going in the right direction."

From the trained perspective of a former warrior it was painfully obvious to tell that the young tom Goldenshine was lying. If it wasn't for the carefully planned out web of deception on his part at the promise of a warning from StarClan to Leafbreeze this probably would've never worked.

_**Deception.**_

It's scary to think how one word can hold such power over another. From my tenure in the Dark Forest, I quickly learned that it took a special amount of talent to weave a web of words into a carefully constructed illusion. It was one of the first lessons there that I learnt that was what made StarClan so powerful in the first place. The power of persuasion is a deadly skill to have in any one cat's arsenal, and it frightened me terribly to know how easily a cat's will could be bended with a few choice words.

Goldenshine would never be capable of warping a cat's thought process with his poorly chosen words and nervous stutter at the first sign of trouble, but the young cat had a special quality about himself that seemed to be able lull other cats into a sense of comfort and safety. It was one of the defining characteristics that had drawn me towards him, but more importantly it was his Clan profession that intrigued me the most. And of course it was that profession that made this all possible.

The bushes gave a final shake of resistance before the long slender form of an old toriseshell she-cat emerged into the clearing, followed closely behind by a small golden pelt tom. Just from appearances alone it was clearly apparent that the she cat was the dominant member of the two. Leafbreeze, as she'd been called stood with a confident and dignified air about herself that seemed to almost ooze an aura of mystery and power. The golden tom at her side Goldenshine seemed to not carry any even remotely close characteristics as Leafbreeze. His small stature definitely didn't help with getting rid of that timid appearance of his, or fact that he still looked like he belonged somewhere in the apprentice den.

Leafbreeze took a few cautious steps around the clearing. Throwing a curious glance around, she suddenly blinked in surprise, as the clouds over head that had partially been covering the moon parted like a whirlpool in the sea, and the moon shot down a shining gale of light to illuminate the clearing. The light tore across the clearing sending the shadows fleeing back into the safety of the darkness, and it was as the light shined down revealing the area that it also revealed me from my sitting position calmly watching the two medicine cats.

Goldenshine gazed around the clearing seeming confused for a moment, but when his eyes made contact with my dark grey pelt he suddenly took a hesitant step back. The sudden movement on his part alerted Leafbreeze, who snapped her head in the direction he was facing to lock eyes with me. If she was at all surprise to be coming into contact with an exiled traitor, she hid it well.

"What in the name of StarClan are you doing here, _rogue_?"

"Ouch," I pretended to be injured by her words. "Here I am taking the time and energy to set up this little meeting between the two of us and you don't even have the decency to refer to me by my name, Leafbreeze."

"Don't you even dare," she suddenly growled angrily. "You lost all right to even refer to any Clan cat by their name when you were exiled. You even standing here speaking to me is a spit in the face towards Clan law, but most importantly StarClan. Then again _you always had trouble following the warrior code, didnt you, Cloudstorm?"_

I scowled at her before drawing myself up into a standing position. That remark actually stung more than I cared to admit, but I'm used to being kicked in the dirt. I wasn't going to delude myself into thinking that I didn't deserve anything less, but Leabreeze even refering to _that_ was crossing an already thin line to began with.

"You still haven't answered my question?" Leafbreeze said glaring at me. What are you doing in the heart of ShadowClan's territory?"

"If you must know, Goldenshine invited me."

Leafbreeze snorted loudly, eyeing me with an amused look. Apparently it seemed she found something humorous in what I'd said."That's preposterous," she laughed shaking her head. However, Leafbreeze's laughter came to a screeching halt when she noticed Goldenshine hadnt said anything to rebuke my claim. "Goldenshine?" she said, turning fully to face the golden tom. "Goldenshine," she said, sounding slightly panicked. "Tell me what he's saying isnt true?"

A sudden flash of emotion passed over Goldenshine's face, and without a single word the golden medicine cat apprentice took a fleeting step away from his mentor. Leafbreeze watched with a shocked expression as her former apprentice walk away from her to join me at my side. She opened her mouth for a moment, as if she was about to speak, but then suddenly closed it as the realization of what'd just happen hit her.

"W-why?" she asked in cracked voice that didn't suppress the hurt emotion she was trying to conceal. Goldenshine averted his eyes downward, refusing to meet her accusing stare, as a half guilty expression hung at the corners of his face. I almost pitied the both of them. Betrayal was a hard realization to bare, I should know.

"Don't blame, Goldenshine," I told her, touching the tip of my tail to the tom's shoulders. "The very reason you're here has to do with me."

"You!" she suddenly snarled, baring her fangs angrily. "What did you do to him you code breaker? Was damning one medicine to a horrible fate not enough for you? Have you not learned anything from StarClan's punishment?" Have you not-." Leafbreeze suddenly cut off her rant at the sight of the dark expression on my face.

"_Was damning one medicine to a horrible fate not enough for? Have you not learned anything from StarClan's punishment?"_

For a moment I felt as though i'd just had someone rake their claws across my face. Did she have even the slightest idea of what she'd just uttered!

_**Punishment.**_

I lived every single day of my life suffering from the great atrocity StarClan had inflicted upon me. Punishment? I wonder if she even knows what the word means. To live everyday of your life in turmoil and despair at knowing the love of your life is dead because of you? No, impossible. She didn't know, she didn't have a clue.

In a single fluid motion, I flicked my tail up in a high arcing manner, and grinned viciously as the woods around us began to rustle. A group of gleeful yowls rose up through the air, as cat after cat emerged from the darkness of the trees coming to surround Leafbreeze. For the first time now Leafbreeze seemed to realize that she had stepped into a full blown trapped; and as she looked fearfully for one cat to the next surrounding her I couldn't help but gloat.

"Look at all us," I whispered ominously. "ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan all here united under one goal. You see Leafbreeze no matter how different each and every one of us maybe, we all have something in common. StarClan has scarred us."

"What, that's mousebrained!" Leafbreeze argued. "StarClan is a source of faith, hope, and security for the Clans. They're filled with the warrior ancestors of every Clan and do all they can to help warn and protect us."

I shook my head, sighing deeply. "There was once a time when we all believed that, Leafbreeze. We thought StarClan would keep us safe and never let harm come to us or our loved ones, but that wasn't what happened. Take Buzzardflight for example," I said, motioning to the skinny grey she cat from WindClan to her right. "She trusted StarClan to keep her kits safe from harm, but where were they when a fox attacked her Clan, raiding the nursery and then killing them?"

I pointed from cat to cat telling the story of how StarClan had failed or hurt them in some form or another until I finally came to our last cat. "And of course who can forget Goldenshine, your very own apprentice. He dedicated his life to the study of healing his Clanmates and looking towards his warrior ancestors for advice. But what happened last leaf-bare when his mother was overcome by some unknown illness that slowly deteriorated her body? Where was StarClan then, I ask? They have the power to forewarn medicine cats of threats to the Clans, but how come they seemed to forget to mention that this illness would strike his mother, making her suffer a long drawn out death until she finally died?"

"There was nothing StarClan or any other cat could have done for you mother, Goldenshine," Leafbreeze pleaded desperately towards him. "I tried everything I could to save her, but ultimately it was her time to hunt with StarClan."

"Just like it's your time now." I spoke, flexing my claws.

Leafbreeze's eyes widened in fear, and she looked around from each cat hoping to find some sign of mercy in their eyes. Finally she drew her eyes upon Goldenshine, but the golden tom fully turned his body away from the she cat, and she finally came to the realization that there was no escape. But for some reason, being the pawn of StarClan that she was, she had to try one final plea for escape.

"It's not too late to seek forgiveness from StarClan, Cloudstorm. You still have a chance to redeem yourself for your actions."

_**Forgiveness? Actions?**_

In a flash of movement, I barreled into Leafbreeze, sending her small frame hurtling to the ground before pinning her down, digging deeply into her fur with my claws. She gave a startled cry of pain, and then tried unsuccessfully to throw me off of her. I might've laughed at the poor attempt on a different occasion, but she had gone to far with her last statement.

"You think I want their _forgiveness!" _I spat angrily, causing her to squeak pitifully like a mouse. "You're nothing but a brainwashed puppet, Leafbreeze! You're like a piece of prey to StarClan. Something they only continue to hunt because it brings them a source of nourishment for their already inflated egos! The very moment you step even a toe out of their tangled web of deceit and you'll be cast away just like I was!"

Leafbreeze shriek in pain as I dug my claws deeper into her flesh with every word, but I didn't care. Before she died she was going to find out just how much StarClan really cared for her.

"Go ahead," I whispered, snarling slightly in her face. "Call for your great StarClan to come and save you. Beg like the obedient pawn that they raised you to be and see if they come to your aide. Beg and grovel like the piece of mouse dung that you are, and watch as they do nothing. Watch….watch as they remain in the sanctuary of the stars and watch you die!"

I stared at her panicked face feeling the rapid beating of her heart as my bloodlust raged out of control. I could do this. Just one simple bite and it would be all over for her. I knew this, but something was holding me back.

Leafbreeze stared up into my face eyes wide in unconcealed terror. She knew that I meant to kill her, I had too to succeed. But suddenly something change in her demeanor. The look of fear vanished from her eyes to become hard and full of spite. She stared back up at me defiantly before saying.

"You talk about how StarClan has scarred you, Cloudstorm. You curse and ramble on about how StarClan has betrayed your trust and the faith of these others cat, but I only see one poor sorry excuse for a former deputy that's taken his final shred of sanity and convinced himself that the death of his mate is someone elses fault. You call me a pawn Cloudstorm, but the only pawn I see here is you and these poor cats you've manipulated."

I glared down at Leafbreeze as hatred brewed deep within my heart. She actually had the nerve to call me a pawn. Me, who was doing everything within his power to topple the master manipulater that was StarClan.

_"She doesnt understand, Cloudstorm," the chilling voice of Icefrost whispered into my ear. "She's a servant of StarClan, nothing more than a mindless piece of prey they use for entertainment. Let your hate loose, let your anger surge, let the darkness overwhelm you and kill her now!"_

I lunged forward fangs barred and sunk my teeth into Leafbreeze's throat. Her final scream died within her throat, as the metallic taste of her blood squirted into my mouth. I held on tighter for a second longer before releasing her and watched as her head fell limply back to the ground. Her once bright green eyes now lay dull and lifeless, as I stared back at them and a horrible image flashed through my mind.

The position she lay in…it..it reminded me of how my mate lay dead and lifeless after dying giving birth. I leaned over Leafbreeze's body and had to clinch my jaws tightly to stop from gagging. My body shivered uncontrollably as it sunk in exactly what I'd just done.

One of the single biggest crimes a Clan cat can commit is the murdering of a kit, but that pales in comparison to a medicine cat. In many ways it was a crime against nature to kill a medicine cat that held no ill will against cats, and their compassion to heal exceeded Clan issues. It'd been just as Icefrost said it would be. The moment I killed Leafbreeze was the moment I fully accepted the darkness in my heart, but as I pulled myself back together I could only feel a grim flash of doubt as I remembered that there was one final crime against nature to be committed here tonight.

The others lay in a troubling silence. I took from their shocked expressions that they hadn't mentally prepared themselves for the atrocity they'd just witnessed. I understood their immense shock more plainly than I've understood anything else in my life, but they had to pull themselves back together. The job wasn't finish yet. No, we had one more line of decency to cross before the night was over.

"Hurry, do it now!" I suddenly snapped at Goldenshine, causing the young cat to flinch terribly. "Hurry!" I ordered more viciously, scattering the others out of their daze and into action. "One second too late, and all of this will have been for nothing, so do it now!"

I hated yelling more so than ever now with how I felt, but we'd never get another opportunity to pull this off again. Goldenshine finally seemed to snapped back to reality, as he firmly, but shakily began issuing out orders.

"Lionpelt, I need you close by with those cobwebs at the ready. Galewind, Bluzzardflight, I need you two to chew up that pollituce I made and have it ready for me to use." Finally he came to a stop by me, his face a whirlwind of different emotions, but with a steady breathe said. "And Cloudstorm, I need you to hold the body down while I make the incision."

A nodded to show I understood and placed a paw firmly against Leafbreeze's belly, holding her steady. Even though I'd just killed Leafbreeze there was no way I had the stomach to do what came next. That was what made Goldenshine so useful to my cause. Being a medicine trained by a follower of StarClan, but also by a follower of the Dark Forest was what gave him the special ability to handle situations like this. But that was another story for another time, as placed a shaky paw upon Leafbreeze's chest and began to cut.

There's no need to get into detail of what happen next. If I wasn't tell the plan by Icefrost himself earlier I probably wouldn't believe this was happening. Goldenshine pulled Leafbreeze's still beating heart from out of her chest and then quickly slathered it in the chewed up pollituce from Buzzardflight and Galewind before finally warping it heavily in the cobwebs handed to him by Lionpelt.

The entire time he held a blank expression, as if he handled all the hearts of his former mentors' everyday before depositing it at my feet. I tried to make note of some emotion upon his face, but he stayed extremely calm, as if the moment he started to feel again he'd shatter into a thousand pieces. I glanced at the others noting the blank expressions upon their faces also. I took me a second to realize that they were all just trying to hold themselves together now by any means necessary and my own feelings went out to them. Maybe they hadn't known fully what to expect when they agree to help take down StarClan. It was possible, but there wasn't any turning back now.

"Go home," I mumbled just loud enough for them to here. "Go home and continue on with your clan lives until further instructions." Without any words of reply the clearing began to thin out as the cats disappeared to their respective territories. I bent down and grab the wrapped package that was Leafbreeze's heart and turned to leave before noticing Goldenshine was staring down at Leafbreeze's lifeless corpse, an unreadable expression on his face.

I left him alone to his thoughts and the body of his former mentor. It wasn't my place to help him cope. When morning came I'm sure he would have some ingenious tale of how Leafbreeze was murdered by a passing rouge, but for now I had my own endeavors to take care of. As I slowly merged back with the darkness of the night I couldn't help but cast a glance upward towards the sky and notice that the once burning stars that were StarClan were now beginning to show the small signs of dimming.

The war had begun.


	3. Chapter 2: A Confrontational Meeting

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I was suffering from a fit of writer's block which made this chapter a real pain to type up. Even now I'm not happy with how it turned, but I'll let you be the judge for that. Anyway thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, and let me know what you think of this one.**

_**Chapter 2: A Confrontational Meeting**_

_**Catastrophic chaos brings devastating ruin, Murderous rage leads to complete annihilation, and Nefarious nightmares howl hauntingly with the dying screams of the fallen.**_

"_Help me! Help, it hurts!" screamed the dying she-cat as blood pooled from her body. "Help me please, I don't want to die! Cloudstorm, please do something!"_

_I watched in shocked, helpless to do anything but watch. She screamed hysterically in pain and I could only gaze into her fear stricken eyes as she cried. She was dying right in front of me and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. She was calling my name, pleading, crying out in desperation for me to do something to save her, but I could only watch in horror. My mind couldn't comprehend what was happening; it was too much to handle._

_Her blood began to stain the forest floor red, and I barely even registered that my paws were beginning to get soaked in it. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be. I swore to protect her. I told her the night I declared my loved that I would forever protect and keep her safe from harm. I swore it! But why now when she needed me most I was unable to do a thing but watch in a horrified trance._

_I could see the life began to drain from her eyes. She was losing the will to keep fighting, I could tell. The pain was too intense. I crouched by her side and licked her face in vain desperately trying to draw a response. I wanted her to say something. Anything, anything to keep her with here with me! She suddenly gazed at me with an expression clouded by pain and whispered the words that would forever haunt my nightmares._

"_Cloudstorm….pl-plea-se….Cloudstorm, please kill me."_

Darkness swarmed around me in a suffocating cloud of death. I gagged, beginning to panic as the darkness restricted my windpipe from any kind of exhalation. It was smothering me in a deadly embrace and I flailed wildly trying to escape. It was like a never ending abyss of nightmares that swarmed around my body, tormenting me before suddenly lifting.

I awoke with a start, yowling loudly. My chest heaved heavily and my heart beat at a wildly erratic pace as the all too familiar feeling of terror washed over me. I glanced around uncertainly at the strange forest I found myself in before realizing where I was. I shook my head wearily, taking a deep breath and trying to relax as best I could until my fur finally lay flat.

I was a bit disoriented from the sudden scene shift, but I was positive from one glance up at the pale almost sickly sky above that I now resided in the Dark Forest. For a moment I was bit confused as to why I was currently in the Place of No Stars, but a sudden flashback made me remember I had purposefully fallen asleep to come here.

_**And that's when the nightmare started.**_

A shiver ran down my spine as the dying scream of my mate echoed throughout my head. I had originally just intended to fall asleep to wake up in the Dark Forest, but it seemed my mind had fallen prey to a nightmare before id achieved that. Having the memories of what happened forever implanted in my mind was bad enough, but being forced to relive it after all this time was simply pure torture.

Glancing around, my eyes immediately became accustomed to the familiar sights that were the Dark Forest. The forest seemed lifeless, draped in a blanket of darkness that seemed to cover the entire area. Trees towered high above me with low hanging gnarled branches that had the uncanny resemblance to that of the sharp talons of a large predatory bird swooping down to capture its prey. While the air itself had this odd almost stale, musky odor of rotten wood that seemed to reek throughout the entire forest.

The Place of No Stars truly was a god forsaken land. Now more than ever I realized just how much more rage and hatred these cats held for StarClan than I did. To be forever trapped in a place of such desolate and depressing surroundings was any cat's own living nightmare.

Taking a quick scan around, I found myself standing in a clump of bracken with dead grey fronds arching over my head. On closer inspection to the side of me I discovered a narrow path that wound through the undergrowth. I wasn't exactly that familiar with the Dark Forest's territory like I would've been with ThunderClan's, but I had a hunch that this path would take me to where I needed to go.

I bent down and clasped my jaws around the tiny bundle of cobwebs that lay at my paws, and then started on my way. I traveled through the forest, the only sounds of life my paw-pads hitting softly against the path floor. The forest seemed more dead and decrepit than its usual creepy luster of indefinable dark shapes rustling back and forth around the place. It was a bit strange that I hadn't come across at least one of the Dark Forest cats, but I had to remind myself that majority of them preferred to stay alone in their own solitude.

That path led on sloping through several clumps of bracken and tall weeds of grass with me having to stop every now and again as the ground at my paws began to sink unexpectantily. There were various hazards of death throughout this place, but none I wasn't able to handle alone. Finally I came to a stop at a dense part of the forest that was overrun with wild overgrowth of thorn-bushes, bracken, and large overhanging trees. This place seemed to be the heart of the Dark Forest, but as I cast my eyes over the surrounding area I saw something that shouldn't be here.

A dark pool lay in the very center of the overgrowth, rippling slightly with a small pop of which splattered up something resembling black goo. I scrunched my nose in disgust as the water let off a rank scent of crowfood, and took a hesitant step back. I wasn't sure what that pool was, but it was currently giving off a dark aura of sorts that didn't bode well for a cat still of the living.

I was just about to turn to go when a dark shape suddenly engulfed the entire view of my sight. I took a startled step back only to blink in surprise as I found myself staring face to face with the cool blue eyes that belonged to Icefrost.

"I see you found your way here fine enough." He observed with a cold stare.

"No thanks to you," I said with a low growl, depositing the bundle of cobwebs to his paws.

"Don't sound so bitter, Cloudstorm," he said. "You got here in one piece, and what's more you managed to successfully acquire Leafbreeze's heart. Now we can begin with stage two of our plan."

"Yes and what exactly does that entail?" I asked. "You weren't very sociable earlier when I asked why you needed Leafbreeze's heart, and now I want answers."

"Yes, I suppose I owe you that much," he relented. "There was a bigger reason behind you taking Leafbreeze's heart besides just antagonizing StarClan, Cloudstorm. Something so insidious and innovative that I'm not sure you'd actually believe me."

"Why don't you just try me then?" I told him, beginning to become fed up with waiting for his big reveal.

However, much too my charging though, Icefrost didn't answer my question. Instead, the grey and black stripped tom slowly stalked towards the dark pool that lay several tail-lengths away from us. From my position farther away it seemed to be that Icefrost was peering down into the murky waters below. How any cat could see even their own reflection in that pool was beyond me, but Icefrost seemed to be staring almost hungrily at an image only he could see. I was almost tempted to ask what it was he was staring so intently at when he suddenly spoke.

"Taking a cat's heart before the final stage of death stops them from passing on to the afterlife."

"What?" I asked startled.

"Don't seem so surprise, Cloudstorm," Icefrost told me, still peering into the pools murky waters. "It's really a magnificent piece of work, I tell you. Leafbreeze, as we speak, is currently trapped in a middle plain of existence between StarClan and the Dark Forest. As long as we have possession of her heart she'll stay there. But what's more is having control of her heart gives you complete and utter control of her soul."

"Her soul?"

"Yes." Icefrost chuckled darkly. "Isn't it ingenious, Cloudstorm? You have there at your paws the power to take control of her otherworldly body and use it for our own gains. As a being of neither StarClan nor the Dark Forest she can travel between both plains without resistance. If you so choose to do so right now, you could summon her here."

He turned to face me, revealing the sight of his cool blue eyes which glittered manically in the darkness. It was at this sight that I realized for the first time just how truly insane and egomaniacal Icefrost was. I looked down at the bundle of cobwebs that concealed Leafbreeze's still beating heart and thought of this mad revelation of his. Icefrost may have exceeded the extreme line that separated the sane from the mad, but I wasn't going to be the one to judge the cat who was making my revenge just the all more real by the second. If using Leafbreeze's heart to control her soul was going to help us take down StarClan, well, then I was all for it.

"Tell me then, Icefrost. What is it you plan to do with Leafbreeze's soul exactly?"

For a moment the dark cat seemed to smile. "Why spoil the surprise now, Cloudstorm? I think its better that you just sit back and enjoy how the next upcoming events unfold."

I frowned immediately. "If I wanted to be kept in the dark about everything that's going on, then I'd have just stayed a pawn under StarClan's paw. I'm tired of you sidestepping the issue, Icefrost, now talk!"

I'd had enough with being left out of the loop of Icefrost's master scheme. I had my own goals to accomplish in this alliance also, and if he expected me to continue working with him any longer than he'd better start talking and fast.

The dark tom eyed me with an amused expression and then shook his head. "Impatient as always, I see, Cloudstorm. Fine then, I suppose it's due time you knew exactly what's about to commence in the coming moon. I've developed a well devised scheme that will involve us in using Leafbreeze to-"

Icefrost suddenly stopped speaking, his ears perking up sharply. Without a word he turned back to the dark pool and stared intently into the dark waters, a slight growl emitting from his mouth.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's a disturbance in the force," he growled.

I blinked slowly unsure what to say. "What are you talk-"

"We have visitors," he cut me off. "I was expecting them to show up a little later on, but I suppose that its better we get this over with now. Come!" He ordered, flicking his tail to follow before heading off in a different direction. "Its due time we had a meeting with the opposition before we start clawing each other's fur out."

Without another word Icefrost headed off into the woods immediately being swallowed up by the darkness. My insides were gnawing in anticipation for me to ask him exactly who was coming here, but past experience already told me that Icefrost wasn't likely to give away answers that would spoil his little surprises. With a resigned sigh I bent down to grab the heart and headed off in the direction Icefrost disappeared.

Traveling off the path, I followed Icefrost's retreating frame through the mess of forest canopy. We walked in silence until we finally came to a stop at what appeared to be the edge of the forest. I looked around baffled for a moment. There was nothing in front of us, but some sixth sense of mine told me that if I were to take a step forward I'd find myself in another plain. Deciding to test the theory out I take a step forward and suddenly felt something repel my body backwards. Blinking in surprise, I turned to Icefrost for confirmation.

"What is it?"

"The boundary."

Before I could ask him what he meant the air in front of us suddenly began to shift and shimmer, then in a dazzling flash of light two sparkling cats emerged from thin air. I wasn't sure what to make of the two arrivals before I noticed the familiar sparkle of what appeared to be stars in their pelts, and that unmistakable look of seeming wiser beyond your own years. It was all the evidence I needed to know that I was currently in the presence of two members of StarClan.

For several minutes neither side said a word, as we both sat there sizing each other up. I glanced at the two StarClan cats across from us, and a suddenly jolt of shock ran through my body as I recognized them both. My heart skipped a beat, and I dropped the bundle of cobwebs at the sight of tall brown tabby tom who stared back at me with a pair of sharp, silver piercing eyes that I swore could see right through my soul. What was he doing here?

So shocked at the arrival of the tom I almost forgot about his companion, who, upon viewing the bright ginger she-cat my blood suddenly turn cold before flaring up in uncontrollable rage and hate. I couldn't believe she actually had the ego to come here.

"Well, well look whose decided to grace our bleak little home with their presence," Icefrost said with a dip of the head. "Brightstar," he said to the she-cat, "Hawkgaze," to the tom. "Welcome to the Dark Forest. I'm sorry we didn't have time to set you up a more regal and proper greeting of arrival, but you arrived sooner than I would've liked."

"Take your leave, Icefrost," Brightstar hissed venomously. "We're only here for one murderous cat tonight." She turned towards me and my anger immediately surge at the look of smugness on her face. "StarClan requests your presence for the part you've played in tonight's travesty, Cloudstorm."

"I suppose you volunteered to come here, huh?" I hissed. "I bet it gives you the ultimate pleasure to ruin my life again doesn't it, Brightstar? Yes, I know that's why you're here, but what about you?" I asked turning to Hawkgaze."What are you doing here?"

He returned my gaze, his face neutral. "I could ask you the same thing, but after what I've seen tonight all I want to know is why?"

_**WHY**_

That word was like an angry thorn in the side to me now. I've asked the same thing for many moons now, and I still don't have an answer. Why did this happen? Why couldn't I do a thing save her? Why did StarClan just sit there and do nothing as I watched her suffer? Yes, why indeed?

"It wouldn't make a bit of difference if I told you," I said. "You're with THEM, and that alone already corrupts your judgment."

He frowned, not getting the response he wanted. "You're not helping me here, Cloudstorm."

"I told you already," I said. "There's nothing I could say that would change what StarClan's already made their mind up about. And truthfully I don't care."

Hawkgaze glared angrily at me for my lack of cooperation. He had to know that StarClan had already made its mind up about how to deal with me the same way I'd already made my mind up to destroy them. Hawkgaze knew this, I could tell he did, but remembering me as the cat he'd watched grow up as a kit wouldn't let him fully accept the truth like I'd already done when I killed Leafbreeze.

"I'm trying to help you here, Cloudstorm," he growled in frustration. "You committed the ultimate crime tonight that has StarClan yowling for your pelt. Unless you help me understand what your leading motivation was of what you and those other cats did I won't be able to save you from StarClan's wrath."

"It's no use, Hawkgaze," I said, trying to make him understand. "There's nothing you can do for me."

He opened his mouth ready to argue when Brightstar suddenly cut in. "Enough, Hawkgaze," she said firmly. "StarClan agreed to allow you one chance to see if his soul was redeemable, and that time has passed. The cat you watched over as a kit is gone." Turning back to glare at me and Icefrost, she said in a forced tone of calmness. "My, my, look how the mighty have fallen. I never expected you to take exile gracefully, but I'm appalled at what you've become."

"And what's that, Brightstar?" I snarled. "An outcast? A cat that refuses to no longer stand by and let StarClan have free reign over the lives of other Clan cats? A cat you realize can't be controlled? A cat you know can't be stopped? Or is it a cat whose wrath you have come to fear?"

"I only see a cat that has no idea what he's just invoked," Brightstar mewed coldly. "Tonight, you committed the ultimate sin of murdering a medicine cat. And what's more you've managed to corrupt several other cats, including ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice, into helping you. If that wasn't enough you then go on to defile the body of Leafbreeze, and take her heart! This is unforgivable, and I want you to know that StarClan seeks retribution!"

"Good, because that's exactly what we want," Icefrost spoke, snapping everyone's attention to him.

Brightstar blinked in surprise, momentarily speechless from the remark. "You want StarClan to attack you?" she asked puzzled.

"Why, yes," Icefrost stated calmly. "I thought it only natural that you should be ready for battle seeing as the Dark Forest has officially declared war on StarClan."

Brightstar and Hawkgaze's eyes widened in shock before Brightstar gave a yowl of outrage. "You're declaring war on us? For what reason! StarClan has done nothing to the cats of the Dark Forest."

"I beg to differ," Icefrost said, motioning to the bleak area around us. "StarClan imprisoned us here on this lifeless cold rock of darkness to rot away for all eternity."

"That has nothing to do with StarClan," Hawkgaze argued. "The cats of the Dark Forest have only their selves to blame for being here. They sought to murder, deceive, and attempt to corrupt Clan life. That's why cats like you are here now."

"You really think that?" Icefrost inquired coolly. "I say you're wrong, Hawkgaze. There are countless cats here that have wrongly been accused and branded as traitors and other such things here. We cats of the Dark Forest know this to be true, but Cloudstorm here is a classic example of that wronging."

"Cloudstorm is nothing more than a murdering code breaker who's had far too many chances," Brightstar snarled spitefully.

I growled wanting to claw that cocky look of superiority right off her face. I made motioning to move forward, but a look from Icefrost made me halt.

"This is what I'm talking about," Icefrost said, shaking his head. "You cats get to StarClan and all of a sudden you get it into your heads that having sparkling fur makes you gods. The cats of the Dark Forest are here to remedy that falsehood and remove StarClan's influence away from the Clans. StarClan's time as head matriarch of the Clans is coming to an end, and a new generation of cats who plan to improve Clan life for the better starts here led by Cloudstorm and his radical views for change."

"What?" Hawkgaze said, looking at me in unconcealed shock. "Cloudstorm, what's he mean? What are you planning?"

The pained expression in his eyes was too much to bear. I truly felt sorry for the hard truth he was hearing. Hawkgaze had never done anything to hurt me in the slightest, but change was coming to this world and it involved StarClan being eradicated from existence.

"I've aligned myself with the Dark Forest to bring the fall of StarClan," I spoke coldly, focusing the intensity of my words towards Brightstar especially. "Six moons ago I had the _**ultimate crime**_ committed against me as StarClan created a prophecy that foretold the death of my mate who'd done nothing but only ever lovingly support her Clan."

"So, it all comes together then," Brightstar spoke silently, her words harsh as the burning sun in the desert. "You killed Leafbreeze as a form of revenge for something that you were warned would happen because of your actions?"

I watched as her lip curled up in disgust at me, and my mind raged a violent war inside my head to slaughter her. _**'Something that you were warned would happen because of your actions?' **_I didn't know whether to scream in rage at her apparent ego or her narrow minded logic. Way to contradict yourself huh, Brightstar. I wasn't the one who created the prophecy. My mate once told me how StarClan works with prophecies. When foresight into something that could affect a Clan, StarClan creates a prophecy they hope will get the cats it entails to decipher and make come true.

_**Come True**_

That's the interesting part about it. I've found out in some instances that prophecies don't always come true alone. There are stories that elders tend to not mention of when a prophecy made by StarClan didn't come true concerning the cats of it. When StarClan realizes that the prophecy won't come true, well that's when they decide to intervene.

Imagine if a prophecy was made that claimed the extermination of an entire Clan by next full moon. StarClan could and can twist the flow of events that were meant to happen to what they want to happen. It was because of things like this being known to have happened that I know StarClan didn't want me to be happy upon my own freewill. If they so wished it they could have changed the meaning or completely wipe the prophecy from existence. But no they had to prove a point. They needed a cat to take the fall in their little scheme to prove breaking Clan law is punishable by exile or death; and my mate and me were the examples.

I wanted to tell Brightstar this. Even Hawkgaze should know. They should know that I'm on to their little game of deception, but before I had the chance to answer the question, Icefrost beat me to it.

"No." his cold monotone voice echoed around us. "No, Cloudstorm killing Leafbreeze wasn't for revenge. It was for gain."

"What are you talking about? Brightstar asked.

Icefrost smirked, motioning to me to slide the bundle of cobwebs to his paws."It's quite simple actually, Brightstar," he said. "While StarClan, as the rash mousebrains that you are, immediately sent you two here to threaten Cloudstorm you seem to have forgotten a couple if not one crucial detail. Tell me," he said, a cold grin gracing his face. "Have you managed to find Leafbreeze's spirit yet?"

Brightstar gasped in shock. "Wait how do you even kno-" suddenly it dawned on her, as she and Hawkgaze exchanged looks of disbelief.

"What have you done with her?" Hawkgaze demanded angrily.

"You mouse dung, fox hearted, piece of bile!" the she-cat suddenly roared. "You coward, I should shred your worthless pelt for this! What have you done with her?" she snarled.

"Calm yourself, Brightstar," Hawkgaze said, eyeing Icefrost angrily. "We aren't here to fight, you know that very well." Turning towards us with a glare that didn't fully conceal his own silent rage, he said. "If you wish to keep your tongue Icefrost I suggest you tell us what you've done with Leafbreeze."

"You want to see Leafbreeze?" he said, motioning for me to place the heart. With the wide eyes of Brightstar and her companion watching, I deposited Leafbreeze's heart at Icefrost paw who then placed a paw on top of it. "Well here she is."

Suddenly a pounding thumping sounded out into the air, and we all stared wide eyed as Leafbreeze's heart began to suddenly shake and pound loudly. Suddenly in a materializing light of tiny dots, Leafbreeze appeared hovering in midair before us.

The she-cat blinked her eyes several times while glancing around seeming confused with her new surroundings. When she caught sight of Brightstar she opened her mouth to say something, but instead of words her speech immediately turned into an ear piercing scream. Icefrost, grinning maniacally had a claw grip on her heart and squeezed several times on it much to the shock of Brightstar and Hawkgaze.

"I think that'll do," he said and in a flash of light Leafbreeze vanished.

Brightstar and Hawkgaze lay there, pelts ruffled, and eyes wide in shock at what they'd just witnessed. I had to admit that I myself hadn't expected Icefrost to do that, but I couldn't help be enjoy the satisfying results it had on Brightstar.

"You fox-hearted coward," Brightstar yowled. "Release her!"

"Why, because you demand it? As I remember StarClan doesn't have any say here in the Dark Forest, Brightstar. In another life I may have been your loyal deputy, but now I don't feel much obliged to follow your orders."

Brightstar barred her fangs snarling angrily. "I see your time in the Dark Forest hasn't changed much about your behavior, Icefrost. You're still the same sadistic power hunger manipulating cat that I banished from my Clan all those many moons ago." She suddenly looked back and forth between me and Icefrost and then snorted loudly before turning to address Hawkgaze. "Look at them. Two disgraced former deputies, one an alleged avenger for justice driven by hate, and the other a murdering psychopath driven by need for conquest. Tell me Hawkgaze, how do you expect to talk any sense to Cloudstorm when he's being pulled along by the strings of Icefrost's manipulation?"

My anger suddenly sparked at this. "Are you calling me a puppet?"

"Not so much a puppet as being led along like a helpless kit!" she retorted.

I snarled, unsheathing my claws and took a menacing step towards the starry cat. I had waited long enough to enact my revenge on StarClan, and I'd start it with her. Before I could get closer however, I found my path blocked by Icefrost.

"Out of the way!" I snarled. "I've exhausted all my restraint just being in the presence of this pompous old fool, and now I'm going to do what I've waited and craved to do for six moons now."

All I could see was rage. Rage for Brightstar, rage for StarClan, and rage for everything they'd put me through. My heart raced as my muscles tensed in anticipation at the chance to finally shed the blood of a StarClan cat. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to kill Brightstar, but I was only too willingly to find out.

"Sound mind, Cloudstorm," Icefrost told me in a soothing tone. "You aren't quite ready for those kinds of actions just yet. Keep your wits about yourself. There are other ways to hurt these cats without physical confrontation."

I wasn't keen on listening to him right now. To me everything I craved at the moment was within my grasp if he'd just get out of my way. I didn't want to let the opportunity of attacking Brightstar pass me by, but the intensity of Icefrost's glare killed that flare of resistance.

I sheathed my claws, resigning myself to glaring hatefully at Brightstar. I can't describe the immense hatred that brewed in my heart at the sight of her. If it were any other StarClan cat besides her, I probably wouldn't be so anxious to attack, but she was the one. The one who started this entire thing. The one who first prophesized what would be my mate's demise. The one cat that above all others I'd sworn to kill. And here she was mere tail-lengths away from my claws and I couldn't touch her.

"You better have something big planned," I snarled threateningly at Icefrost. "I want them brought bowing before my paws. I want them to know who their better is before I annihilate them, but most importantly I WANT her head!"

"Listen to him, Hawkgaze," Brightstar spoke in disgust, returning my glare full blast. "Listen how he talks about destroying us. I'm sorry, but the cat you once knew is gone. The only thing left is this empty shell of pure rage and violence that's resigned himself to sentencing medicine cats to horrible fates. By my count that makes two tonight."

I nearly launched at her, ready to assault her entire body until she was nothing more than a bloody mess of fur and bones. I spat and snarled cursing her name wishing for nothing more than her death. She actually had the nerve to make jibes about my mate! My mate who she herself prophesized to me in my dreams was going to die because of my alleged treachery. I wanted her dead now. I craved nothing more than that reality.

"You dare talk about her? I spat in rage. "After everything you've done to her! After everything you've done to me! You don't deserve to have the name of Star, Brightstar. You don't even deserve to have the privilege of residing inside of StarClan's territory. You're a menace, a fraud, but most of all a coward."

"Coward, Cloudstorm? She asked, her tone dangerous. "Really? Is that what you've convinced yourself to believe?"

"Believe?" I said with a snort of disbelief. "I know that you're a coward, Brightstar. You, and every other cat of StarClan who hid away while you let my mate suffer, while you let Leafbreeze suffer, but most importantly while you sat back and watched me suffer. My lost of Clan, my lost of position, and lost of my mate. And because of what you've done not only to me, but countless other cats, I'm going to topple StarClan. I'm going to show you that those glittering stars in your pelt don't mean anything. I'm going to show you why I've declared my life to being, as you put it, an _avenger of justice_."

"Don't try to use what happened to her as the reasoning behind her madness, Cloudstorm!" Brightstar growled. "You knew full well of the consequences that would befall the two of you if you insisted on continuing your forbidden affair, but did you listen?"

"You still had no right!" I roared. "I don't care if it was wrong. I loved her and her you had no right to take her away from me!"

Brightstar eyed me coolly; her hate for me was just as blatant as mine was for her. "There's no chance for him, Hawkgaze," she said, turning to him. "He won't listen to reason, just like the first time when I tried to warn him, he wouldn't listen even then. He's crossed over a line that even he can't bring himself back from."

"It seems so," he warily agreed, eyeing me with face of mixed emotion. "So, this is the path you've chosen for yourself then, Cloudstorm?"

I nodded, a small twinge of regret in my heart. "I'm sorry father, truly I am, but StarClan must fall."

His piercing silver eyes clouded over with pain. He had finally come to realize and accept the truth of what have become of his son. With a side glance to Brightstar, Hawkgaze dipped his head towards me in a sign of grudging respect.

"And you must realize," he said, "That as a member of StarClan I must do everything within my power to stop you?"

It was a spoken statement of things to come. The gauntlet had been thrown down and I wasn't backing up an inch. StarClan would fall. Even if I had to die to make that dream become a reality, it would be done.

"Next time we meet it'll be as enemies. Ready your forces," I told the both of them. "I've coming for you with the might of the Dark Forest behind me, and I won't rest till you've been destroyed."

Brightstar gave a snort of contempt as she and Hawkgaze turned to go. "You don't have a chance," she snarled viciously. "If you think having your mate stripped from you and being exiled has been torture Cloudstorm, well then you're in for a hellacious time. You dare wage war against your warrior ancestor? You've just invoked a wrath that's so powerful that there won't be a place, either the forest or your dreams, which can escape it."

I smiled despite myself. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me hiding, Brightstar. I'm bringing the fight straight to you in the heart of StarClan. And there won't be a cat, mortal or dead, that can save you from my wrath."

Brightstar merely flicked her tail in reply and vanished over the boundary. Hawkgaze came to a stop of the edge almost as if he were hesitating. He through a final glance in my direction, and murmured something before then vanishing too.

I stood still watching the vast air of nothing before me, digesting what I'd just overheard.

"Come, Cloudstorm," Icefrost said, turning to exit back into the forest. "We have a war to plan for."

I took one last glance at the unseeable boundary that separated StarClan from the Dark Forest before leaning down to grab Leafbreeze's heart and follow Icefrost. Hawkgaze's final message rang ominously through my head, but I shook myself of the thoughts it created and focused on following Icefrost. I had a war to plan for and worry about something that may or may not have been a prophecy wasn't important now.

Strangely enough though, I couldn't help but give an involuntary shiver as his message rang one final time through my head.

"_**In the end you will suffer the most. The end has begun and your soul is that much closer to oblivion." **_


	4. Chapter 3: Avenger

**A/N: Another chapter done and this one is my longest one yet. Special thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and as always let me know what you thought of this one.**

**Chapter 3: Avenger**

_**After the death of a loved one there is only sadness and memories, after the failure to achieve success there is only self loathing and isolation, and after the closing chapters of your own life there is only oblivion. **_

I underestimated him.

Icefrost, that ambitious old fool. It's almost scary to think that one cat can be so underhanded, so vicious, so…. _evil_. It'd been only two days since my last encounter with the Dark Forest cat, and even now I couldn't stop thinking about this plan of his.

_**Deception.**_

There was that word again; the very same one that had led to the untimely demise of Leafbreeze, and countless other cats. It was all about deception, wasn't it? To trick your enemy so badly that they actually believed you were really allies. To lure a piece of prey into a sense of comfort that there wasn't something in the shadows stalking, hunting, ready to kill it. Yes, this was the power deception held over others.

'_We need to weaken, StarClan,'_ he had told me. _'We need to take away the source of their power. The one thing that has kept them sustained and in control all these moons.'_

This plan of his was easier said than done, but Icefrost was supremely confident that we had the leverage needed to make it happen.

'_After all,' he'd said. 'What cat doesn't want to come into a battle fully confident of victory because he knows his Clanmates are lurking nearby in the shadows?'_

Before then, however, Icefrost wanted me to wait out a few days before going ahead with the scheme. StarClan was on full alert now, and he was certain they would be watching our activity with a close eye and sharp claws posed to strike.

I was patient enough to wait it out. I've spent six moons already biding my time, scheming, waiting, and lurking through the undergrowth of the Dark Forest to enact my revenge against them. A few more days of waiting wasn't going to destroy my lust for vengeance. If anything waiting only made it stronger. And when the only thing a cat lived for was the destruction of another foe they'd wait till the very end of time to strike if it was needed.

Besides that a more pressing personal matter had come to my attention.

The air was sharp and brisk. Every breathe I took was rewarded with a sharp stab of pain to my lungs. My whiskers felt frozen to face, and I could barely see my way around the forest through the icy winds littered with sleet which whipped painfully against my face. Almost overnight the forest had been doused over with a blanket of snow and sleet. The ground was buried in cold, white snow which made it extremely difficult to walk across, and the usual prey of mouse and other creatures had fled to the sanctuary of their warm burrows.

The wind wailed loudly, almost seeming to cry out in pain as it battered my body heavily, making it more and more strenuous for me to continue on my way. The tips of my ears had gone numb from constant battering by the wind, while the rest of it ached and buzzed in agitation. The path in front of me was blinded by snow, and I would have been in serious trouble of getting lost if I hadn't known this path by heart. Actually, I knew this entire territory by heart; after all, I'd spent majority of my life here.

Nothing but pure instinct was leading me on through this snowstorm. I was basically being led by nothing more then my paws which transversed over the familiar undergrowth without a single hesitant step. I needed to know if what I'd been told was true. I needed to know if they were fairing well. These were hard times during this time season. The worst time of season for anyone who belonged to a clan.

_**Leaf-bare.**_

A time in the season where sickness ran rampant, hunger was prominent, and the clans struggled to survive the icy wilderness. A time where herbs were scarce and the looming jaws of death awaited any cat unfortunate enough to catch greencough. Yes, Leaf-bare was a horrendous time for the Clans. It was during these times where they all became desperate; desperate for food, desperate for herbs, but most of all desperate for a miracle to answer their prayers.

Desperation leads many cats to make rash decisions that can most certainly backfire in the long run. However, it was that desperation, that hunger, that _need, _and instinct for survival was what made them strong. Was what made the clans strong.

Unfortunately, I'd gotten word that ThunderClan was in bad shape.

After trudging my way through the piles of snow I found myself just outside the clan hollow, and made my way to climb to the top. I knew from past knowledge that the top of the hollow wasn't patrolled like the rest of the Clan. If I wanted to scour around without being detected this would be my best point of perspective.

This was a personal endeavor of mines that had nothing to do with my revenge for StarClan. Even though I wasn't a part of ThunderClan anymore, I stilled cared for the wellbeing of my former Clanmates, and it was proved very evident that they were in dire need of help from the sudden blast of sickness that attacked my nostrils and fits of coughing coming from the medicine cat's den.

I found it almost strange to be watching my old Clan battling against a possible outbreak of greencough and not be apart of something to help. In many ways I was nothing more than a stranger now to these cats I had once cheerfully chatted with only moons ago. I was an outsider now. It stung just a bit to think this, but I knew it to be true. Although I'd once held connections with countless of these cats here, there was no getting around the fact that we were no longer friends.

We may not be friends anymore, but I still held loyalty to my birth Clan. Even after the scandal of my forbidden affair that saw me stripped of my deputy rank and exiled, I held no ill will for what they'd done to me. They were only following the twisted logic of StarClan's warrior code, and I couldn't damn them for their actions when they were being blinded to the truth. I did find it ironic, however, that now that they were struggling just to make it through the day that the great and almighty StarClan hadn't been quick to so much as drop them a sign of where to find more herbs for the sick.

For a camp I once knew to be bursting full of life and activity from multiple cats, the ThunderClan camp was vastly empty now. I watched as they suffered. The freshkill pile was pitifully small, and I watched as they struggled to keep it stocked. I saw warriors' I'd once known to strut around the Clan with pride and dignity now slowly trudging through the snow with dimmed eyes glazed over in defeat. They were losing hope in their own abilities to just keep their clanmates fed, and the Clan medicine cat was fairing the worse.

I looked to see the entrance to the medicine cat den shake as a mottled brown and ginger tom padded outside into the frosty air. From memory, I knew him to be the ThunderClan's newest medicine cat after the old one had past, Redwillow. He was young for his age to be a full medicine cat, probably a little older than Goldenshine, but definitely lacking the experience and talent needed to handle an outbreak like this.

I saw his flanks heaving with exhaustion, and how unsteady his steps were. He was dead on his paws and I swore that a strong enough blow from a gust of wind would knock him right over. He was running out of options to help his ill Clanmates.

I could see the worry in his eyes, the look of utter helplessness to do anything to save his Clanmates. I knew the look well, and shared the same sentiment. ThunderClan was facing a dark time indeed, and I only hoped Redwillow would be able to save the sick cats before it was too late.

_**Hope.**_

Listen to me. I didn't believe for one second that hoping would get them the help they needed. I've learned the hard way that hope only leads to pain and suffering. Hope is nothing more than a disillusion of fear and despair used to combat the horrible truth of reality. You only hoped for something when you were unable to do it yourself, when you realized you had no chance of winning. Hope was for cats who believed StarClan would always be there to make everything better; and I wasn't one of them. If you expected to survive in this harsh reality that we call life, you had to be willing to take action. Take action to attain what had initially been denied to you, and only then would you prove successful.

I watched from my position at the top of the hollow as Redwillow gave a slight shiver and looked helplessly up to the sky which was blocked from view by the blowing snowstorm. I saw his mouth move, muttering something just loud enough only for him to hear, but I caught the gist of what he was saying.

"StarClan, please give me guidance."

I shook my head in disgust at his predicament. Redwillow was young. With his age came the naivety that sitting around and waiting for StarClan to _show him the way_ would help heal his Clanmates. Poor deluded fool. If he truly believed asking StarClan for help was going to heal the sick, he might as well feed them all deathberries now and put an end to their suffering.

It may have sounded harsh, but it was the truth. Those starry cats don't care what happens to the Clans. As long as there's just enough of them left to worship them, StarClan ignored any pleas of help from us mortal cats. I just hated the fact that Redwillow was going to have to watch several of his Clanmates die to find this out.

A scuttle of rocks turned my attention to the highledge, as the hulking lean form of a golden brown tabby tom emerged from a pair of moss curtains. It was bittersweet moment for me, as for the first time in moons I was reunited with the sight of my former mentor, and the current leader of ThunderClan, Brackenstar.

The cat who had taught me so much, mentored me when he was just the deputy of ThunderClan, and the same cat who had exiled me. I know I'd said that I held no ill will against ThunderClan, but when Brackenstar had found out my treason against the warrior code, he wasn't as forgiving as I'd thought he'd be. There was so much history between the two of us. For StarClan's sake he had modeled me to one day become his deputy when I was only just his apprentice. I would be lying if I said it hadn't hurt to be tossed away by a cat who'd once meant so much to me, but I've learned to forgive and forget. _To an extent._

I was surprised however; to no longer find Brackenstar as the majestic and seemingly flawless cat I'd grown up accustomed to. His fur was dull and unkempt, his body showing signs of wear and tear making the once immortal cat I'd thought him to be seem so fail and old now. He walked with a slight stutter in his steps that I suspected was because his bones ache from sustaining his weight, and his face was scarred in several places that they hadn't been last time I'd saw him.

It was shocking to see the once invincible leader of ThunderClan reduced to such a sad sight. The only thing that showed Brackenstar still had the fiery will of a warrior cat was his brightly shinning amber eyes that seemed to radiate the fire and heat of a thousand suns casting everlasting sunlight among the forest. I watched as he began to make his slow winding decent down the highledge only to be stopped by a nearby Redwillow who'd noticed him.

"Brackenstar, what are you doing up! You should be resting!" Redwillow scolded the aged cat.

I found it strangely amusing to see such a young cat as Redwillow scolding the leader of ThunderClan like he was a naughty kit trying to sneak out of the nursery. The scene momentarily made me forget my current troubles and happily reminisce of my old days as a warrior of ThunderClan back when everything was so simple. Back when I wasn't worried about the looming threat StarClan had placed upon my mate.

"I'm not a kit ,Redwillow," Brackenstar rasped out in an annoyed gruff voice. "I can take a stroll around my own camp if so please. Besides I was just coming to check up on you and see how our warriors were doing."

Redwillow dipped his head in embarrassment for taking such a tone with Brackenstar before averting his eyes in shame at the question. "I'm worthless," he said in a pained voice. "There's nothing I can do for them, but help give them a few hours away from the pain with poppy seeds." He turned to look up at Brackenstar with eyes that held resolution of a cat that'd lost faith. "They're all going to die if we don't find some catmint."

Brackenstar gave a growl of surprise at the news. "Then we must find some, and fast. Where does it grow? I'm sure I could spare some warriors to go fetch it for you."

"It's no use," Redwillow responded, dropping his head in defeat. "The frost has killed my final stock of catmint growing over by the abandoned twoleg nest. There's nothing stopping the greencough from killing every infected cat now."

"NO!" Brackenstar growled in anger. "I refuse to accept this, Redwillow. There must be some catmint out there somewhere. There must-"

Suddenly a shriek tore through the air, startling Brackenstar and Redwillow out of their conversation as hysterical small white she-cat ran out of the nursery.

"She's gone! Cherrykit is gone!"

"What!" Brackenstar shouted, romping his way through the snow towards her.

"She's gone, Brackenstar!" the she-cat wailed. "I had just lain her and her littermates down for a nap, and when I turn away from just a second to go check on their mother I come back and she's missing! Oh, what am I going to do," she moaned. "Their mother's already dealing with so much right now, how is she going to handle this?"

The commotion from the she-cat's yowling had awakened the remaining members of the clan not plagued by the sickness. They slowly exited the warriors den, ears perked, and eyes wide in curiosity.

"What's this?" a gruff voice called through the crowd of cats. "What's happened to Cherrykit?"

The cats respectfully parted to reveal a cream-colored tom who hurried towards Brackenstar and the she-cat with a sense of authority about himself. There was something familiar about the tom, but nothing that was immediately registering with my mind.

"It appears Cherrykit has vanished from the camp," Brackenstar told the tom in a steady voice.

"Cherrykit? Oh, StarClan what does that kit think she's doing?" the cream colored tom growled in frustration. "Doesn't she know there's currently a snowstorm going on? That kits liable to get herself killed!"

"Stay sound of mind, Rowanclaw. We will find her," Brackenstar said.

_Rowanclaw!_ I couldn't believe it. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been this puny little apprentice with a knack for getting tick duty for the elders because of his cheeky tongue. Had he really matured into this full grown cat that seemed to command respect from everyone around him?

"I want you to take a search party and scour the outside of the camp," Brackenstar commanded. "Hopefully she hasn't managed to get very far in this storm, and we'll be able to track her down."

Rowanclaw dipped his head towards Brackenstar, and then immediately began ordering various cats around and ushering them into a search party. I watched in amazement as Rowanclaw flawlessly had a search party of five cats ready to go in mere seconds after being ordered. The tom had definitely come a long way from the apprentice who use to terrorize the kits with stories of how he'd sentenced them to be gobbled up by foxes the very second he became leader.

Promising Brackenstar that they'd be back as soon as possible, Rowanclaw then set off with his search party into the howling abyss of the night as the snowstorm immediately swallowed their retreating forms up. It seemed there was nothing more for me to see here, as all the cats began to disperse back to their own dens, but some nagging feeling in the back of my head stopped me dead in my tracks.

I couldn't explain the feeling, but something was drawing my attention to the fleeting sights of the search party. Why though? I was no longer a member of ThunderClan. What did the fate of one kit have to do with me? It was incredibly stupid of her to run off like that when half the clan was down with greencough, but so what?

We make our own decisions in this life, and pay the consequences for them when everything blows back up in our face. The kit had made her choice to run off into of a raging snowstorm. I had no control over what became of her fate.

I shook myself throwing off clumps of snow that had began to pile up in my fur, and began to make my descent back down the hollow. I was getting to sentimental being around my old clan. It was bringing back up feelings and memories I tended to avoid acknowledging these days, and I was starting to get agitated.

I landed with a plop into the snow, and after shaking my fur free of it I turned myself in the opposite way of the search party had went and left. Although I'd only been "visting" me even being on ThunderClan territory was considered trespassing. Anyway, I didn't much fancy having my reunion with old clanmates spoiled by them running me out of their territory.

I pinned my ears to head as a strong gust of wind blew over me sending a chill down my spine. I panted slightly as I pushed on forward through the blowing wind and snow while digging my claws deep into the snow trying to keep my footing. Now that I thought about it maybe coming to ThunderClan during a snowstorm hadn't been one of my brightest ideas. My body felt chilled to the bone, and I knew then that if I didn't find shelter quick I wouldn't need to worry about settling the score with StarClan.

I don't know how far I traveled through the raging storm. I lost sense of my own direction as I was repeatedly pounded heavily by the wind, flinching when a whiplash of sleet slapped me hard against the cheek. All around me my visions was blinded by nothing by white swirling masses of snow that had bleached the forest clean of its lush color. I sneezed terribly as a blast of snow shot in my nostrils and stumbled back before colliding into something warm. I tripped over it and tumbled over into the snow with big splash!

I slowly rose to paws, taking care not slip over whatever it was I had, and looked down into the snow at my feet. On first sight it appeared to be a ginger colored rock, but peering closer I blinked in surprise to find it actually being a bundle of fur. I touch it with the tip of my nose, and jumped back with a jolt at how cold it was. Whatever this poor creature had been it was dead the moment it had got caught in this storm.

I made movement to move on when my ears picked up just the slightest of sounds that I would have otherwise missed. I turned back to the cold bundle of fur and took a closer look placing my ear by its body. Listening closing I picked up the faint sound of a small beating. I didn't believe it the creature was actually alive. Deciding to take a closer look at it I flipped it over and paused in surprise as my heart skipped a beat.

This couldn't be happening to me?

Laying before in the icy cold snow was the small ginger colored body of a small kit.

"Cherrykit." I called out loud, my voice being snatched and carried away by the wind.

How had she managed to get so far from ThunderClan? I had found her completely by accident so I knew there was no hope of anyone else doing else. Oh no. I had just remembered that Rowanclaw's search party had gone the exact opposite direction of where I was headed. They had no chance of ever finding this kit, which meant she had no chance of surviving herself.

_**Unless.**_

I was painfully reminded of how I'd found myself in a similar situation like this. For a moment I was caught up in my own grief at the tragic death of my dead mate when a raspy cough from below startled me out of my thoughts. What was I doing? This kit was here dying in the snow and I was just standing here helpless like a kit myself. No cat deserved to have their life striped away unfairly from them. It wasn't her time yet; I wouldn't let it. I wasn't like _them. _I didn't just sit back and watch clan cats suffer. I was going to do something, I was going to help, I was going to action!

I bent down and clasped my jaws around the scruff of Cherrykit's neck and hauled her into the air. I had to find some way to keep her warm. With new resolve I launch myself headfirst back into the storm and trudge on, determination pulsing through my body.

I wasn't like them. I had to keep telling myself that or otherwise I'd give way to the sudden numbness beginning to creep up through my paws. If I had the power to do it I would save any cat in need. I wasn't so far gone and detach from real life that I didn't know what it was like to feel pain or pity for another creature. I may be a lot of things, but I wasn't a heartless coward. I may have grown cold to the world before me, but I hadn't forgotten what it means to be alive.

That is what separated StarClan from the clans. They'd been dead so long that they no longer remembered what it meant or felt to hunt, struggle, and fight everyday to keep your clan safe. They'd lost their sense of morality. They were emotionally dead to the living world below them under the sky, and we suffered the price for this ignorance.

No more. No more, I say! It was time for a change. Time for the dawn of a new generation; a new age of cats who better understood their role as protectors of the clans. And I would bring about that change. I had the motivation strong enough to do it.

I came to a stop outside a hollow log positioned against a sloping hill. I had found my shelter. I entered the log and placed the kit down in front of me, and began licking her fur. My knowledge was dramatically lacking on how to bring warmth back into a kit's body. I'd spent half of my time as ThunderClan deputy sneaking out to visit a medicine cat, and was embarrassed to admit that I didn't know a single thing about taking care of another cat.

I flipped the kit over and began rasping my tongue over her chest hoping it would gain a response, but Cherrykit stayed deathly quiet. I placed my ear against her chest to make sure she was still breathing and found that the beats of her heart had become fainter.

This wasn't working. I almost slammed my claws against the interior of the log in rage. I lacked the knowledge to keep to Cherrykit alive. But I refused to let her die. No, not again; never again. If I only had some herbs or some better understanding on how to help her. It was as I was berating myself however, that the answer came to me. I didn't have the knowhow on how to save Cherrykit, but I knew a medicine cat that did.

(Scene Break)

"I can't believe you just left the kit alone in the log!" Goldenshine shriek at me, as we hurried together through the storm.

I couldn't say a word to defend myself seeing as I was currently carrying herbs in my mouth, but I couldn't afford to waste a second with Cherrykit in dire needs anyway. It's pointless to recount my journey through the storm in search of the ShadowClan camp. The only thing I sanely remember is snow, and more snow. Somehow I'd stumbled my way onto ShadowClan's territory, and when I realized I needed Goldenshine's help to save Cherrykit I let instinct take over and lead me to the camp.

Goldenshine was a brilliant medicine for his age; probably the best out of all the four clans. I supposed it only helped that he'd had two mentors helping him on his way up, but that of course was another story for another time.

We arrived at the log and I ushered Goldenshine in with the upmost haste, depositing the herbs he'd had me grab at his paws. Goldenshine crouched over Cherrykit, checking the kit's body temperature before beginning to lick her fur in the opposite direction. Once again I found myself watching in amazement as Goldenshine transformed for a small cowardly cat into a full blown medicine cat. With what seemed like second nature he picked up one of the herbs in his jaws and began to chew it before opening Cherrykit's jaws and stuffing it inside the kit's mouth.

He worked her jaws with his paw while rubbing her chest with the other one forcing her to swallow. He picked up a second herb and repeated the process forcing the kit once again to swallow whatever it was he was stuffing down her throat. I watched in silence noticing the utter lack of expression presence once again on his face. He seemed deaf to the very world around him, immersed in nothing but his task.

I'd originally thought that he had only gone into this trance because he was defiling the body of his own mentor, but I realized now that this was how Goldenshine handled every situation presented to him. It was as I watched Goldenshine worked that my gaze wandered to a long scar trailing down the side of his left foreleg. The wound was fresh, and I knew from my own personal scars that that wound had been caused by a cat's claw.

"Are your patients proving to be violent towards you, Goldenshine?"

The golden tom suddenly blinked in surprised at looked at me almost as if he had forgotten I was there.

"What?"

I motioned towards the cut on his foreleg and gave him a questioning glare. "Would you mind explaining that?"

He seemed embarrassed to find that I had noticed and averted his gaze back down to Cherrykit, continuing to rub her chest.

"It's nothing," he muttered softly. "Just lessons learned from my mistakes."

I felt a snarl rumbling in the depth of my throat. "It was _her,_ wasn't it?" It wasn't a question because I already knew the answer.

"Of course it was her," he said. "But it's by my own doing anyway. I have to learn, Cloudstorm. I have to learn so I can become better. Besides," he said looking back up to meet my gaze. "Without her help you can't get what you want."

I snorted loudly. "Trust me it's not by choice that I'm working with _her_. Icefrost values her opinion and because of it I'm stuck doing whatever she tells him."

"I know," Goldenshine replied. "She told me what happened with you and the StarClan cats."

I flared my nostrils in irritation. "So, she's been spying on me then?"

"Of course not," Goldenshine said. "Icefrost told her. You know that he tells her everything. She's the one that's been helping him plan his schemes."

"Well then," I said. "If she told you that, then you must know about what she and Icefrost are planning to do to ShadowClan?"

Goldenshine didn't speak for several minutes, only continuing to rub Cherrykit's chest and feed her herbs.

"It's for the best," he spoke in a voice so low that I barely caught it. "Everything will be better after this. She promised."

I resisted the urge to snort. Goldenshine knew better than me that anything that she-cat said was either a lie or ominous threat.

_**Her.**_

Her. That cat…..hmmm what could I say about _her_? Possibly the vilest feline to come out of the clans and reside in the Dark Forest. As far as I was concerned the Dark Forest was specifically created to keep her trapped. I've never been one to pass first judgment upon a cat after meeting them, but if there was one cat that belongs in the Place of No Stars it was _her_.

Suddenly a small coughing began to echo and reverberate off the hollow walls of the log as Cherrykit opened her mouth to a large gulp of air. Goldenshine took a step away and I rushed forward and stood over her, as she cracked her eyes open and gave a surprised squeak at seeing me hovering over her.

"Who-who are you?" her voice squeaked out like a tiny mouse.

"I'm Cloudst-" I began to say before catching a glance from Goldenshine. "Cloud. I'm Cloud."

"Okay, Cloudy," she replied.

"Wait- no I said Cloud, not Cloudy," I told her much to the amusement of Goldenshine.

However I had already lost the young kit's attention as she glanced around the hollow interior of the log in curiosity. "Can you tell me where I am, Cloudy?"

I frowned at being called Cloudy again and sent a glare towards Goldenshine to keep quiet as he grinned. "You're inside of a log located in ShadowClan territory. Would you mind telling me what do you think you were doing in the middle of a snowstorm?"

"I was trying to find catmint," she said making me blink in surprise. "My clan is sick and only catmint will make them better. I heard Redwillow telling Brackenstar that, and since he said he couldn't find any I thought I would."

My first instinct was to scold the kit. Of all the idiotic things to attempt; she could have gotten herself killed and just made matters worse for her clan. Only a kit would think they were capable of solving a major clan problem all by themselves. I took a deep breathe trying to calm my nerves and addressed the kit in a calm tone.

"Don't you think you should have left that to the warriors to take care of? I mean wont your parents be worried that you've gone missing?"

"They wouldn't notice," the kit mewed sadly. "My dad Rowanclaw is too busy being the clan deputy, and my mom Appleblossom is sick like the other cats. That's why I was trying to find catmint the most. So she'd get better and come back to nursery and be with me and my littermates again."

For a moment I was at a lost for words. "Appleblossom's sick?"

"Yeah, do you know my mother?" the kit asked with curious eyes.

Did I know Appleblossom? That was an understatement. And Cherrykit had said Rowanclaw was her father? So then that meant…...just my luck I guess. I'd never figured Brackenstar would appoint such a snot nose mousebrain as deputy. Better yet I'd never suspect my sister to go for such a mousebrain.

My sister was sick with greencough? I knew that some cats had come down with it, but I never suspected that Appleblossom had. Appleblossom was too, I don't know, innocent to be infected by something like greencough. She was one the sweetest cats I'd known, and the only cat to tell me goodbye when I'd been exiled. If she died now then that meant she'd go to StarClan, right? No, I refused to let it happen. Appleblossom was too pure to be among those accursed cats. They didn't deserve to have her added to their ranks, I refused!

"What if I could get you the catmint, Cherrykit?" I asked. "Would you take it and give it to your clan?"

"You know where to find catmint?" the kit squealed in excitement hopping around. "Appleblossom will get better? Can you take me to it, Cloudy?"

"No, I need you to stay here where it's warm," I told her. "I'll go get the catmint and come right back here so we can take it back to your clan, okay?"

"Okay," Cherrykit squeaked happily running forward and rubbing her head against my fur. "Thanks, Cloudy. You're the nicest cat I've ever met."

I stepped over the kit and headed for the exit where I saw Goldenshine disappear out of moments earlier. "I'll be right back," I told her. "Stay here."

After I stepped back out in the blowing storm I walked over to Goldenshine who was a couple of tail-lengths away waiting for me.

"Please tell me that you have catmint?"

"Sorry," he said shaking his head. "I used up the last of my supply battling an outbreak of whitecough."

"What now then!" I growled in frustration. "Tell me something useful Goldenshine you're the medicine cat around here! Without catmint that kit's mother is going to die! Without it half of ThunderClan may well die. Aren't you tiered of StarClan watching the clans suffer? Aren't you tiered of them doing nothing while we die?"

"You don't think I want to help?" Goldenshine suddenly exploded. "I lost my own mother to a disease that StarClan failed to warn us about. I lost her and countless other cats, Cloudstorm. My job is to heal cats. It's all I've ever wanted to do. To save every cat from death; that's all I've ever wanted to do. It's the reason I allowed myself to be mentored by _her_. She knows things, Cloudstorm; knows how to do things with herbs that you wouldn't believe. If I can just learn those things then I'll be able to save any cat from any illness. Maybe even death itself."

"We don't have time for that," I growled. "I refuse to let StarClan take any ThunderClan cats this leaf-bare, Goldenshine. Do you hear me? And if you're not going to help-"

"There's catmint in an arching crest of a slope in WindClan," Goldenshine suddenly blurted out.

I looked at him in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"She told me," he said softly. "Just now; says it's a gift to you."

"_Me?" _I asked baffled. "Why?"

"She didn't say," Goldenshine responded. "She just told me to tell you where it was and that if you wanted it, it was yours for the taking."

I didn't like the sound of that. _She_ never did anything for anyone unless she had something to gain from it. I didn't know what angle she thought she playing, but I've proved time and time again that I am no cat's pawn. Whatever she was planning I'd get to the bottom of it. Unlike seemingly everyone else in the Dark Forest and Goldenshine included, I wasn't afraid of her. The pain and rage that coursed through my body daily made me fearful of no cat, whether dead or alive.

"This had better not be a trick," I growled threateningly towards Goldenshine. "Because if it is you're going to find yourself short of another mentor, Goldenshine."

"I'm sure she knows not to play games with you, Cloudstorm," Goldenshine replied. "Anyway I need to get back to ShadowClan. I was watching over several cats when you dragged me out here."

Goldenshine dipped his towards me, and then turned to leave when I called out to him.

"Goldenshine?"

"Yeah," he said turning around.

"I-I just-…thanks. Your help was appreciated."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement and then disappeared into the swirling storm. With that done I turned my attention to the task ahead. WindClan, huh? That didn't bode well for me considering I was in ShadowClan. I'd have to travel through ThunderClan first just to get there, and I wasn't sure how I would manage against that storm. However, I had someone depending on me to succeed. All her hopes rested on my shoulder, and I would never again let another cat down like I let her down.

_**Cold.**_

Cold. So much cold. The journey to WindClan did something to me. Cloudstorm left ShadowClan headed for WindClan, and an entirely different cat came back. One cat cold to the reality around him, mentally and physically, but hardened. Hardened to the very bottom of my core, and ready to take anything StarClan was willingly to throw at me. I'd left a part of my soul in that storm. Every. Single. Last. Paw. Step. A piece of my soul went with it.

When I arrived back to the hollow log my body was stiff from cold, and I couldn't feel a thing coming from my paws. Cherrykit yowled in excitement upon seeing me back with the catmint, and I motioned for her to follow me so I could take her back home. The storm had lifted a while ago, but it no longer mattered. The cold no longer bothered me. I had become dead to its icy touch.

Our trek back to ThunderClan was a slow one; mostly because Cherrykit stopped to play in the snow every five steps. We arrived near the ThunderClan camp sometime before dawn, just as the golden horizon of the sun began to peek through the misty fog of the morning. With the sun came a new day for the world, ThunderClan, but most importantly me.

As we came within several tail-lengths of the hollow I stopped and placed the catmint down at Cherrykit's paws.

"There you go. Go straight into camp and take these directly to Redwillow."

"You're not coming?" she asked me with a mew that didn't quite hide the sadness in her voice.

"No," I told her softly. "I've got other things that need to be taken care of."

"Won't you come visit?" she asked, a twinge of hope laced in it. "I become an apprentice in just one more moon. You could come watch my ceremony."

I was tempted to tell the kit that she'd probably never see me again, but the look of innocent hope glowing brightly in her eyes killed my initial statement.

"Why not." I told her and watched as her eyes began to sparkle in excitement.

"Thanks Cloudy you're the best. I hope I grow up to become a brave cat like you one day. You're not afraid to do anything."

Cherrykit grasped the stems of catmint in her jaws and then began to pad towards the camp. I watched the kit go with an odd warm feeling of something bringing the feeling back into my paws. _"I hope I grow up to become a brave cat like you one day. You're not afraid to do anything."_ Maybe you will Cherrykit. Who knows?

Just before Cherrykit had made it to the thorn barrier entrance I gave a call out to her.

"Hey, Cherrykit?" she turned around to look at me. "When your mother, I mean, when Appleblossom gets better tell her-…..tell her Cloudy says hi."

Cherrykit nodded cheerfully and then disappeared into the camp. I turned away and began to head in the opposite direction of the camp. With that last farewell to Cherrykit, I'd said goodbye to my old life as a ThunderClan cat, as the brother of Appleblossom, and as Cloudstorm.

There was nothing holding me back any longer. I was ready to do what needed to be done to take down StarClan, and purify their presence from the clans. Cloudstorm had parted ways with his old life. All that remained now was me. The Avenger.


	5. Chapter 4: Voices

_**Chapter 4: Voices**_

_**A mind of misery troubled by endless distress falls prey to the awaiting darkness of the fiend, senseless carnage brings earth shattering devastation to the world, and frozen fear seeps through its victim's bones stopping their heart cold.**_

It was time.

After days of quietly bidding my time and musing the days away it was time for the job to finally commence.

I wonder if StarClan even saw this coming. They'd had constant surveillance on me since the night of my clash with Brightstar and Hawkgaze, and hadn't gotten a shred of knowledge on anything. I knew it was just eating them up inside to not know what we were planning. They'd find out in due time though. What we had in mind was designed to do just that.

Before this night was over StarClan would receive a blow so huge that it would shake the very foundation of their hold over the Clans. A blow so devastating in might and power that I was only too happy to deliver. To get to StarClan I first had to weaken the power they had. The Clans were a central point in the source of StarClan's power, and to succeed I needed to break that connection.

Throughout history there has always been one Clan that had multiple falling outs with StarClan. One Clan who always just for a moment saw through the web of lies and deceit and broke away. One Clan who was the first and only Clan in history to publicly break away and deny the higher power that was StarClan. And that one Clan was ShadowClan.

_**ShadowClan.**_

A Clan that took pride in their own solitude. A Clan of cats known for their unparalleled stealth, underhanded tactics, and seen as slimy balls of fur by the other Clans. It's funny to think of ShadowClan as this great and noble Clan now when back as a member of ThunderClan I saw them as nothing more than Clan breaking renegades. Now I see the truth though. In a way I guess you could say I've seen the light. Any Clan that can see that StarClan only has its own interests at heart deserves the praise and respect of every living Clan cat.

ShadowClan would be the first crucial blow in toppling StarClan from power. All it took was some careful planning and precise timing, and we'd have them bowing to my paws in defeat. It was time they learned what it truly meant to suffer. What it felt to be beaten and battered to a bloody pulp until you could barely stand to rise. They'd get their first taste of what my vengeance held in store for them. It was only a matter of time.

Before I commenced with the operation however, there was a more troubling situation I still hadn't dealt with. No, ThunderClan wasn't in trouble again. That I could handle. No, this was something entirely different.

For the past three days I had been hearing a voice inside my head.

_**Insanity**_

Was I going insane? No, I don't believe my mind had caved in on itself. This was something else; something sinister. Insanity doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow process in which the afflicted individual slowly begins to unravel mentally and sometimes physically. I will admit that I'm not fully sound of mind with what I've been through, but I'd know beforehand if I had lost my mind.

It started soon after I had departed from ThunderClan territory. At first it was merely a nagging buzz in the back of my head. It was easy enough to ignore at first, but as time drew on the buzzing began to intensify in volume. It soon came to a point where the buzz transformed into a piercing shriek of a scream that had me tearing tufts of dirt up and yowling my head off. For a brief moment in time I actually played with the notion that I had simply gone mad. That was of course before I heard the voice speak.

"_Cloudstorm."_

It came out of nowhere. One moment I think my eardrums are going to explode from the sheer pressure of the scream, and then next this. I froze upon hearing the voice not sure if I had imagined it or that someone was nearby. I glanced around my surroundings attempting to find somebody to put with the voice, but it turned out I was completely alone. What then? Had I just imagined that I'd heard someone calling me?

Then I heard a snicker from behind me. I whipped around baring my fangs, but again there was no one there. At this point I was starting to feel uneasy. Someone was watching me, but I couldn't find them. It felt almost as if they were just within my reach, but still so far away at the same time. It didn't make sense! And with all these mind games being played I was starting to get fed up.

"If there's something you want I suggest you stop hiding like a fox hearted coward and face me!" I growled out loud into the cold empty wilderness.

I will admit that I wasn't expecting to receive a response. Whoever was stalking me had the upper hand in me not being able to see them. So it was very surprising for me to get a response, but shockingly find it coming from inside of my head.

"_Hello, beloved," _a crooning voice giggled wildly, echoing throughout my head.

I inhaled sharply momentarily surprised to find that the voice was indeed coming from inside of my head. Can you say you've actually ever had a conversation with a voice inside your own head?

"Who are you?" I demanded out loud, deciding to take the initiative. "Where are you? How did you get inside my mind?"

My questions were met with wild burst of laughter as the voice replied in a crazed tone.

"_When are you coming to see me my dear, beloved? The kits are asking for you every day, and I've missed you so much."_

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" I growled angrily as my ears rang loudly with mad laughter. "What kits? Do I even know you?"

"_Larkkit looks so much like you now, beloved. His eyes even light up with that joyous glow of excitement when he slaughters his prey just like you," _the voice crooned in a silky tone. _"He'll grow up to be a fine warrior just like his father, won't he?"_

I shook my head in disbelief trying to grasp the situation. What was this? Who was this crazed voice going on like we were mates? It even said we had kits together. I clenched my jaws tightly together as another burst of mad laughter rang rampant throughout my mind. It reverberated in crazed bursts off the insides of my skull, and I found myself getting lost in it.

Dark images of dead bodies and pools of blood flashed through my mind, as the voice giggled madly. I watched in horror as a flash of menacing claws struck out and slashed the throat of a small kit. The kit fell limply to the floor and its head rolled sideways to face my direction. Time seemed to stand still as I found myself staring into the lifeless blank eyes of Cherrykit.

I stumbled back in absolute and utter disbelief. No! How? Why? I couldn't understand what I was seeing. Then I gasped in horror, as I saw the large claws from earlier rise high into the air and slam down to make impact with Cherrykit's head.

The only thing I heard was the sick sound of Cherrykit's skull cracking as blood splattered everywhere painting my sight red.

_**Blood**_

It was so wet; so STICKY. The smell, oh the smell was so overbearing. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't take it. She was only a kit. Why?Why!Why!Why!

Suddenly I felt a cold slap of wind. I opened my eyes to find myself lying in the snow on the outskirts of ThunderClan. My heart hammered loudly in my chest, as I shot up looking around.

It was a dream I realized. Nothing more than an illusion conjured up by the voice. That may be true, but it still didn't erase the lingering memories and smell of blood from my fur. I hunched over exhaling deeply, as I watched my breathe turn into icy mist before disappearing.

The voice was gone. I no longer heard its mocking laugh or crazed speech. I shook my head warily realizing how exhausted I now felt. I don't know what that voice had done to me, but now I was completely drained. It had been a terrifying ordeal for me. However it wouldn't be the last.

Like I said I've been hearing the voice for the past three days now. Later after my first encounter with it the voice returned. Like the first time I was forced to withstand its crazed declarations of love, and being deemed its '_beloved_.' Once again I was forced to endure another wild hallucination that only grew worse as time drew on.

For the past three days now I haven't so much as found the time to eat. The times in which the voice would pop up were spontaneous and completely random. I couldn't be sure when or where I'd be attacked by another hallucination of finding myself in ThunderClan's camp littered with the dead bodies of all my former Clanmates or drowned in a lake made up entirely of blood.

I'm not insane though. I can still think clearly when I'm not being subjected to the voice's mind games, and I still know what my priorities are. StarClan was my one and only concern. My mind may in fact have been infected by some ancient sickness caused by them. I wouldn't put it pass them to try something like this. No matter though, I refuse to let it beat me. I won't be shackled down by any infliction of madness, no matter how serious.

I had a job to complete tonight, and nothing was going to stop me. Not StarClan, nor the voice.

The air still carried the slight chill of cold from the snowstorm, as I settled down for sleep tonight. I wasn't sleeping because I needed rest. No, my presence was needed in the Dark Forest, and I can't say I was too thrilled about it.

My relationship with the Dark Forest was a strained one if anything. We were both using each other. It wasn't a secret, just unspoken common knowledge. We both knew that without the other we couldn't get what we wanted. I was using them to get what I wanted, and Icefrost was doing the same in return to me. As long as both sides held up their own part of the deal there wouldn't be any problems. For now anyway.

I curled up into a ball, resting my head on my paws. I closed my eyes and attempted to fall asleep. It wasn't too hard seeing as I'd been up the past three days dealing with an insane voice. Slowly I felt myself begin to drift off, as the looming darkness above began to swallow me up. To travel to the Dark Forest is almost like submerging yourself underwater. The icy cold of the water slowly begins to creep up inside your bones wrapping around the body's interior and then separate your otherworldly self from your body.

The process is almost instantaneous depending on how tired you are. What felt like only seconds later I awoke to find myself in the Dark Forest. When I opened my eyes and took my surroundings in I immediately realized something was off.

_**Darkness**_

More darkness than I thought the Dark Forest was capable of. The area was swamped in it. Picture the darkest place you've ever been in your life and now imagine an even darker force coming and overwhelming that. I glanced around unfamiliar with this part of the forest as a shiver ran down my spine.

Something about this area wasn't right. I was vaguely reminded of the dark pool I'd seen on my last visit here and how it had gave me the same bad vibes this place was now giving. Something that felt ancient, deadly, and forbidding for any living cat who dared come here.

I stepped lightly across the forest floor, traveling slowly as I tried to identify where I was. I had certainly not been to this part of the forest before, and with good reason. Every single thing around here was dead. The grass was wilted and reduced to crumbled tendrils that crunched under my paws. The trees hung at sloping angles with rotting tree trunks and treetops bare of any leaves.

There was also this reeking scent of something, crowfood most likely which seemed to be emitting from the very air around me. It was a barren wasteland to be put bluntly. A land so sparse of any living source of material that the air itself seemed to echo a sense of loneliness and despair. It was a sentiment of emotions I was familiar with.

I suddenly felt something squish under paw. I stepped back to check what it was, blinking in surprise to find the mottled corpse of a black crow. Or better yet what had originally been a crow. The body had decomposed to just but a mess of depleted organs, bones, and feathers.

I scrunched my nose up in disgust as the smell of crowfood wafted upward. I was starting to get sickened by that smell. I continued on my way looking around hoping I could at least find a landmark to tell where I was. One place you never wanted to get lost in was the Dark Forest. I had no worry of running into any of the cats here, as they tended to stew in their own solitude, but this place held a few ancient hazards that wouldn't bode well for a living cat as myself.

Upon having these thoughts a startled yowl emerged from my mouth, as the ground where I walked suddenly gave out on me. I felt myself fall forward, rolling swiftly down a hill I hadn't known was there. I tumbled down being battered by the stiff ground before painfully coming into full contact with a thorn bush.

The thorns immediately pierced my flesh splashing the bushes scarlet with my blood. With a grunt I tore myself free losing several tufts of fur in the process. I gave a brief lick to my wounds, rasping my tongue over them in irritation. I was going to have a word with Icefrost concerning my transportation to this place when we met up. I don't think I have to say that I was getting just a bit ticked off with wandering lost around this desolate wasteland.

Suddenly as I was raging angrily on in my mind a sickly sweet scent caught my nose, flaring my nostrils in the process. My widened in surprise as I, for the first time, realized the surroundings of where I was standing.

All around me lay a large canopy of a forest of thorn bushes. It seemed to stretch on for several tail-lengths, but that wasn't what had caught my attention. I now understand why this place reeked of crowfood. Everywhere, trapped in every single thorn bush was the dead mottled corpse of different assorts of prey. Their bodies hang in clusters, hanging limply pierced by the thorn branches of the bushes which were stained scarlet in their blood.

I gazed around in shock wondering what in the world I was witnessing. It was almost as if this place served as some sacrificial landmark. It wasn't right. I knew that much. Whatever had done this I wasn't willingly to stay and find out why. It was as I turned to depart the bloody massacre that I heard it.

It rang out echoing throughout the thorn bush forest sending a chilling shiver down my spine. That laugh. I knew that laugh. It rang out again bouncing from both sides around me. I shot my head around trying fruitlessly to trace the source. It was here. How had it gotten here? My mind was one thing, but the voice had followed me to the Dark Forest. Impossible. No, this was something else. I could tell this time. The voice had a body here; I could almost detect the heat signature of the body it was coming from.

I unsheathed my claws and step away from the thorn bushes. The voice was somewhere nearby mocking me, and this time I was going to do something about it. Suddenly I heard the mewling of kits, as the voice rang out mockingly.

"_Hush there my little ones. Yes, I know you're all excited. Your father's finally come home to me."_

The voice rang out once again laughing maniacally. Mocking me. Teasing me. I'd had it. No more. I'd had enough of these mind games. I wasn't to be trifled with. I would be made a fool of no more.

"ENOUGH!" I roared.

The laughter immediately ceased, plunging the entire clearing into deafening silence. I sat there breathing heavily as my nerves spasm out of control. Mu fur seemed to buzz with a slight tingle, as a sickening feeling of revulsion washed over me. This was starting to grow hectic.

I shook my fur furiously trying to rid myself of the sickening feeling. This voice was starting to affect me worse than before. With a final glance thrown towards the thorn bush field of mutilated prey, I began backing away. Whatever this place was it was helping the voice get a stronger reception on how to affect me. I needed to get away from this place; anywhere else in the Dark Forest was better than here

I headed southward led on purely by instinct. My senses were blaring at maximum capacity as I entered a deeper part of the forest even more barred of light than where I'd originally been.

I traveled on in silence, as certain parts of the forest began to look familiar. The undergrowth seemed to become denser while overrun with wild overgrowth of thorn-bushes, bracken, and large overhanging trees. An immense feeling of foreboding suddenly wash over my body as I traveled on, and it was then that I knew where my intended destination would be.

As the trees parted I wasn't at all surprised to find myself overlooking the dark pool of mystery once again. At the bank of the pool I could clearly make out Icefrost's dark striped flank facing the pool, who slowly turned to face me as I drew closer.

"You're late," he growled upon seeing me.

"I stopped to smell the flowers," I answered sarcastically, not at all in the mood to hear his complaints.

Icefrost blinked slowly, his blue eyes narrowing to slits. "Is that so?"

His tone carried a slight warning in it, but I wasn't to be intimidated. Blame it on my aggravation at being taunted by the voice, if you will, but I wasn't in the mood for Icefrost's attitude.

"Look, I'm here now. So why don't you get your tail out of a bunch and stop side tracking the mission."

"Yes, you've been doing a lot of that lately haven't you, Cloudstorm?" he said, snidely.

"What do you mean?" I asked perplexed.

"Oh, nothing much," he replied. "Tell me, Cloudstorm, how is ThunderClan doing these days?"

My ears perked at this. "And how would I know about that?"

"Let's agree not to play games with each other, Cloudstorm," Icefrost growled. "We both know that you nearly killed yourself to fetch catmint for ThunderClan."

"So, you've been spying on my personal activities?" I growled.

Icefrost's eyes seemed to glint strangely before answering with, "Let's just say a little _rose_ told me?"

A rose, huh? Okay, I got where he was going with this little game.

"And so what if I have, Icefrost? What I do outside of the Dark Forest is my business and my business only."

"Of course it is," Icefrost agreed. "However, when that business strays from our intended goal that's when I start to get involved. I'll let this one time go Cloudstorm, but I suggest you not try something like it again."

"Is that a threat?" I whispered softly, a dangerous warning laced in my tone.

"I'd prefer it not be." Icefrost spoke in a neutral tone, his blue eyes blazing brightly. "But if you insist on being this way I'm sure you'll have much success taking StarClan on alone."

I opened my mouth to snap back before stiffly pausing. He had cornered me in a tight spot; one I wouldn't be able to get out of. I needed Icefrost and all the benefits being a cat of the Dark Forest gave him. Without any of it I'd be powerless to do a thing against StarClan. The taste of defeat is bitter one at best, and I wasn't one who bit his tongue and swallowed his pride very well. However, I needed his help, and to get his help I had to comply with his wishes.

Icefrost automatically knew beforehand that I would give in. Continuing on as nothing had happen he turned back to the dark pool. Gazing intently into the murky waters Icefrost raised a paw and touch it to the water. I watched as his paw created a small ripple of waves as the water swished around slightly. I was about to finally ask Icefrost the question of exactly what was this pool when it suddenly began to glow.

I blinked in surprised before stalking forward slowly to see what was happening. I watched alongside Icefrost as the water began to shift and take shape before my eyes before finally settling to reflect the inner workings of ShadowClan camp.

"What is this?" I blurted out unable to hide my curiosity.

"It goes by many names for many different uses," Icefrost said. "But in this case it's a two way connection between here and the living world. Or in other words it's a link between the cats of the Dark Forest and a living Clan cat's dreams. This is what you will be using to accomplish what needs to be done."

"How does it work?" I asked.

"Simply step forward and let the depths of the water take you under."

He was kidding, right?

Noticing my expression a faint smile crossed Icefrost's face. "You have nothing to fear, Cloudstorm. You are in no danger of drowning whatsoever."

He may have said that, but it didn't reassure my feeling of actually going under this pool that gave off a dark feeling. How was I to really know that I'd still come back up in one piece after a dip in that water?

"Be quick in your assignments," Icefrost spoke. "There's no telling how long it will take StarClan to catch wind of this. And don't forget this," he said, pushing forward a bundle of cobweb.

I nodded before bending down to grab it and then wadded into the water. The water was surprisingly warm. It also didn't cling to my fur like sticky goo I'd originally thought it to be. I wadded farther and farther into the water until my paws could no longer touch the bottom.

"Focus on our target," Icefrost called from the bank. "Picture yourself dropping right into her dreams."

No matter how I may have felt about him I found myself listening to Icefrost's advice. Focus on the target. Picture myself falling right into her dreams. I suddenly felt the weight of the water clinging to my fur drag me under. I let myself go without a fight and tried to relax as much as possible as complete darkness overtook my sight.

"Focus on the target," I repeated over to myself. For that brief moment in time I let go of my obsessive hate of StarClan. There was only one cat I needed to put my full attention on tonight. One cat who was unknowingly going to be an asset to my conquest. The one cat that was the sole key to starting the beginning of the end for StarClan.

The ShadowClan leader Nightstar.

In that instant the murky water swept over me in a whirlpool of waves, and I was gone. To travel from one dream world to another is certainly a once in a lifetime experience. Imagine being trapped in a whirlwind of hundreds; no scratch that, thousands of emotions and feeling them all rush through you at unexplainable speeds of time and acceleration. In one word it was simply exhilarating.

I felt so incredibly free during this time. So light and unburdened by the stress of the world above me. Was it possible that I was feeling complete happiness? I don't know, but for the first time in a very long time I actually felt...content. Sadly though, with every good thing in life it must to come to an end. Sooner than I would have liked I felt the feeling of euphoria lift off of me. Blinking, I gazed around to find myself in a luscious green meadow shining brightfully as the golden sun above shined strongly, warming my fur.

The green meadow stretched on forever it seemed, and Nightstar was nowhere in sight. I was hoping that she was somewhere close by so I wouldn't have to stay here longer than needed. No matter, I had a job to complete and I would do so with the utmost haste.

Concerning the job now I guess it was better than never to fill in my unwillingly participant on what part she would play in all this. Depositing the bundle of cobwebs to the ground I then placed my paw over it, and focused on channeling her spirit. Slowly a cluster of black dots began to appear and interact with each other. In a matter of moments the thoughts began to shift and take form, and suddenly I was staring face to face with the former ShadowClan medicine cat herself, Leafbreeze.

Leafbreeze winced as her eyes came within contact of the bright light from the sun before glancing around in surprise. When our gazes met I saw her inwardly flinch before taking a frightened step back.

"You!" she whimpered, glancing around frantically for what I assumed was help. "No. Anybody but you!

"Hello, Leafbreeze. It's nice to see you in one piece again," I greeted her as none threatening as possible. Unfortunately for me it appears that when you kill someone their not exactly thrilled upon seeing you again.

"What do you want? Was killing me once not enough for you!" She spat angrily.

I resisted the urge to growl at the comment. She was justified in her anger I suppose, so I shouldn't get upset. It wouldn't bode well for her if I did.

"If it's any consolation I would have rather not killed you," I admitted to her. "It was nothing personal, Leafbreeze. I assure you. Your death was instrumental in furthering my revenge against StarClan."

Leafbreeze let out a scornful laugh as she glared at me. "You're insane," she growled. "You're nothing less than the very embodiment of evil itself, Cloudstorm. I can't even begin to comprehend how a cat could become so twisted and corrupt. You're a monster!"

_**Monster**_

Was that really what she saw me as? A monster? A creature bent on nothing more than inflicting fear and terror into its victims. Was there a chance I had actually delved so deep into the darkness of my heart that I was now seen as a monster by others?

I shook these thoughts from my head, instead, focusing back on Leafbreeze. I had a job to complete and couldn't risk getting side tracked.

"Call me what you want, Leafbreeze, but before this is all over you'll see the truth."

"What's that?" she spat spitefully. "That you've become nothing more than a heartless murderous trait-aaaaah!"

Just as she began to finish insulting me I'd lost it and resorted to a tactic I'd seen Icefrost do once before. Gripping her heart tight between my paw I gave it a forceful squeeze and watched as Leafbreeze gave a painful scream before collapsing to the ground.

"Let that be a warning," I hissed venomously. "I will not tolerate any tongue, Leafbreeze. You are nothing more than an object specifically created for my use and will act as accordingly."

Leafbreeze whimpered pitifully as I stalked around her. "Be thankful, Leafbreeze, because thanks only to your connection with ShadowClan are you being summoned here."

"ShadowClan?" she gasped out. "What do they have to do with this?"

"More than you know," I told her. "But be thankful to me, as tonight I'm going to reunite you with your former dear leader, Nightstar?"

"What do you mean?" she asked. "What are you going to do to Nightstar, you filthy rouge. I swear upon StarClan if you hurt her I'll-"

"You'll what!" I snarled in her face, causing her to cower back in terror. "You don't seem to understand, Leafbreeze. It's not me who's going to do anything to, Nightstar. It's you. You're going to lie to her."

"Never," Leafbreeze seemed ready to say, but another squeeze of her heart put that to rest.

I chuckled darkly as Leafbreeze withered in pain on the ground unable to do anything about it. I have to say that it actually felt good to watch another cat besides me suffer for once. It probably helped that Leafbreeze did nothing to make me feel bad about the predicament she was currently in.

"Ready to listen?" I asked, watching a shiver run across Leafbreeze's body as she desperately tried to catch her breathe.

Torturing Leafbreeze had run its course and now I was ready to get back down business. If it took me to squeezing her heart until it almost exploded I wouldn't hesitate to take that route.

"Like I was saying," I began. "You're going to lie to Nightstar, Leafbreeze. And before you get the silly notion that there's some way around it you're wrong. I own you," I whispered to her, motioning to the bundle of cobwebs between my paw. "Having control of this not only dictates what I'm able to make you do, it also allows me to choose what you'll say."

Leafbreeze's eyes grew to the size of two moons as it dawned on her what this meant.

"You- you can't," she spluttered. "I won't allow it."

I shook my head at how stubborn she was being. "Haven't you been listening?" I asked. "There's nothing you can do about it except stand there and repeat everything I command you to tell Nightstar. Don't worry though, Leafbreeze. It won't be all bad. In the end you'll see that everything I've done was for the benefit and bettering of the Clans and everyone else. I promise you that."

I wasn't sure if my words were getting through Leafbreeze's skull or not. Being brainwashed by StarClan so long had twisted her logic to a point where anything against what StarClan had told her was right or wrong was conflicting with her morals. Suddenly I heard the thumping of incoming pawsteps as I looked off in the distance and saw an all back she-cat with a splash of white on her chest heading straight our way.

It seemed good fortune was shining down on me after all. Nightstar was actually heading my way saving me the trouble of tracking her down. Without being seen I quickly crouched down and merged myself into the tall weeds of grass surrounding the area. Leafbreeze, who was still suffering from the earlier injury I'd inflicted, was still splayed on the grass and unable to stand.

As Nightstar grew closer I saw her eyes light up in excitement as she caught sight of Leafbreeze. Coming to a stop by the medicine cat's side I watched as Nightstar helped Leafbreeze to her paws.

"It's so good to see you again old friend," Nightstar cheerfully greeted, touching noses with Leafbreeze. "ShadowClan hasn't been the same without you I hope you know. I was simply shocked when Goldenshine told us about finding you after you'd been killed by a fox."

Leafbreeze watched Nightstar with wide sad eyes as her old friend talked. She knew what she was about to do to her. She was going to deceive her old friend into believing a horrible lie, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

Deciding to take control now, I forced my influence over Leafbreeze through her heart, and began my thickly webbed layer of deceit and deception.

"Yes, it is good to see you to, Nightstar," I made Leafbreeze say. "I'm only sorry that I was unable to leave ShadowClan better prepared before I was ripped away."

"Don't you go believing that," Nightstar told Leafbreeze firmly. "You've trained an amazing medicine cat in Goldenshine, and we've not had a sick or injured cat he couldn't handle so far."

"I suppose," Leafbreeze said, dipping her head to Nightstar in respect. "However, I haven't come here just to visit you, Nightstar. I came here to warn you."

"Warn me, Leafbreeze? About what?"

"ShadowClan's destruction." I whispered ominously through Leafbreeze's voice.

"Destruction?" Nightstar gasped in shock. "How? Why is this happening? What is StarClan doing to help us?"

"StarClan?" Leafbreeze said with contempt followed by a short snort. "My dear, Nightstar, it is StarClan who has allowed ShadowClan's destruction."

"That's impossible!" Nightstar shouted. "Why would StarClan allow the death of ShadowClan?"

"Because they can," Leafbreeze's body whispered. "Because they don't care about your Clan. Because they don't care what happens to it. A storm like none the Clans have witnessed before will strike and ravage the Clans like the sky itself has turned against you, and only three Clans can be saved from its wrath. StarClan have all agreed that ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan are too important to be wiped out. However, ShadowClan is expendable."

"Expendable?" Nightstar echoed in a hollow voice, her eyes wide in disbelief.

I watched the fear creep into her eyes and ruffle her fur. She had bought it. Just like that. I could see her fake front as a fearless leader flee away to be replaced with nothing more than a scared cat. A cat that feared death, a cat that feared for the safety of her Clan. Just like that I'd just shaken her trust in StarClan. However, I wasn't finished yet. No, I had to make sure there was no possible way that ShadowClan would ever look to StarClan for guidance again.

"However, there is a way to save your Clan, Nightstar," I had Leafbreeze's body say. "There's one way to ensure that you'll still have a Clan to lead after the storm, but you have to do exactly what I say."

"Anything!" She said in a pleading tone, her eyes wide with fear and hope. "Tell me, Leafbreeze. Please! I'll do anything to save my Clan."

"Renounce your ties with StarClan, Nightstar. Renounce everything that you've come to know and worship about them. They have abandoned your Clan, and left it to die. Don't be left helpless to the wolves. Rebuke StarClan, and the control it has over your Clan. Lead your Clan as you would see fit, and not by their Clan law. Only and only then can you have a chance of surviving the storm. If you do this I promise ShadowClan will live to see a new horizon. The dawn of a new day. But if you don't, and cling to some idiotic notion that StarClan will change its mind, and spare you you'll die. You, and your entire Clan will be wiped out, and StarClan won't bat an eye."

"I- I.. I don't know," Nightstar whispered in a frantic state. "I'm finding all this incredibly hard to believe, Leafbreeze. You've never once lied to me, and I trust your judgment, but-"

"It's either this or the death of ShadowClan!" I growled through Leafbreeze's voice. "Think for a moment, will you, Nightstar. This isn't the first time StarClan has abandoned ShadowClan. They've done it countless times before throughout Clan history, and like the mousebrains we are we eventually go crawling back to them. Set a standard for the future leaders of ShadowClan. You can lead your Clan without StarClan, but it's up to you to make the first move."

Nightstar looked deeply troubled, as she digested what Leafbreeze had told her. I could see the immense struggle going on within her mind on what to do. On one paw, as leader it was her duty to do everything within her power to make sure they stayed safe and protected. On the other paw however, the cat who had grown up adoring StarClan, and even received her nine lives from them was fighting to make her voice heard.

It was an internal battle of turmoil for the ShadowClan leader and even now, with all I'd said, I wasn't sure if she'd agree. This was the major flaw that I'd foreseen in Icefrost's plan. Chance. If anything I hated to leave my fate in the hands of chance. Chance was unpredictable and unreliable for those who needed it in dire situations as these.

"Okay," Nightstar's voice rang out. "...Okay, Leafbreeze. I'll do what you say. For the survival of my Clan effective immediately ShadowClan has now cut ties with StarClan."

If I hadn't heard Nightstar say it I probably still wouldn't believe it. She had agreed? ShadowClan was no longer a following pawn of StarClan. Triumph rage wildly through my body, as I let a small smile cross my face at being successful. It had all worked out after. Even with all the unknowns Icefrost had refused to acknowledge, we had succeeded.

Or so partly.

My demeanor darkened dramatically, as the thought of what I lastly had to do came to light. If Nightstar had truly cut ties with StarClan then she should have no problem with my final request. This request however, rode with it all our hopes and aspirations. If this didn't work this entire trip would have been for naught.

It was time to go in for the kill.

"Good, good, Nightstar," I spoke through Leafbreeze's voice. "You're that closer to protecting your Clan from what's to come. However, what you've just promised isn't enough. There one final thing you must do before ShadowClan can fully be rid of StarClan's influence."

"What is it, Leafbreeze?" Nightstar asked warily. "What more is there I can give to ensure my Clan's survival?"

This was it. The moment where either I would succeed or fail.

"You must relinquish your lives," I snarled. "They were given to you by StarClan which also serves as an aspect of you still paying homage to them. Relinquish the remaining of the nine lives StarClan has bestowed upon you, and then I swear ShadowClan will live to see the dawn of a new day."

"My lives?" Nightstar asked in shocked. "Leafbreeze, please tell me you're joking?"

"I'm only telling you what I know to be the truth, Nightstar," Leafbreeze said. "The nine lives bestowed upon a leader are nothing more than a curse. The curse of StarClan, as I call it. They only give you those lives so you can suffer and live longer to worship them."

"Tell me, Nightstar?" I asked through Leafbreeze. "Do you find it enjoyable to be killed time after time only having to come back a little more battered each time and worse for wear? This is what StarClan wants. They want you to fall prey to the curse, but if you give me you're remaining lives now you'll be purified of it. Leading your Clan with the one and only life you were born with. This is the true worth and meaning of a leader. Being willing to lead your Clan while being just as prone to death and disease as they are without hope of another life to back them up."

Nightstar seemed to be at worse of mind than she had when she'd first been asked to renounce StarClan. One of the perks that came with being a leader was having the nine lives given to them by StarClan to protect their Clan. Her giving all the lives she had remaining from StarClan was basically asking to give up her life multiple times.

"Ho-how does this work," Nightstar stuttered slightly. I was shocked to find that she had actually agreed to the crazed request. She was really going through with it, the fool.

"Just close your eyes and it'll be over before you know it," Leafbreeze said. "When I've taken the last of your StarClan given lives you'll wake back up in ShadowClan a little weaker, but ready to serve your Clan."

I still couldn't believe it even as I spoke. Like a fool Nightstar stood right there before Leafbreeze, and closed her eyes. She was actually resigning herself to the fate of giving up her lives, and I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I hesitated upon ordering Leafbreeze to attack. Was I right in doing this? Really, could I so badly deceive a cat who was so willingly to do whatever it took to protect the thing she loved? Was doing this making me into the monster Leafbreeze had spoken of?

"_That's right my beloved," _the hysterical hiss of the voice suddenly whispered in my ear._ "Do it!" _It crooned softly._ "Give into your bloodlust, and do what must be done. You know you want to. I can feel your heart racing in anticipation."_

I didn't know what had come over me, but something in the way the voice spoke propelled me to order Leafbreeze to launch forward and pin Nightstar down to ground. Nightstar just lay there with her eyes close. She didn't even try to fight it.

"Let this be known as the day ShadowClan rebukes the name of StarClan!" Leafbreeze yowled loudly. Emotionally I ordered her to raise an unsheathed claw and come slashing down to slice open Nightstar's chest.

In a show of flashes and rainbow like funnel explosion of color I watched in amazement as two ghostly images of Nightstar rose from her body. The lives zoomed around the grassy meadow in a show of flight before heading our way and disappearing into the bundle of webs that was Leafbreeze's heart.

When it was all over I looked to see Nightstar's chest began to slowly heal itself leaving behind a ragged scar and a now aged looking she-cat. Without so much as a warning, Nightstar's body began to fade away, and with it the dream meadow. The clearing around me disintegrated right before my eyes plunging me into darkness. Unknowingly I subconsciously released Leafbreeze's body back to the middle plain of existence without a word.

"_Isn't it amazing what a cat will do for the thing they love?" _the voice mockingly asked before laughing madly afterwards.

The laughter continued to rang throughout my head before finally dying out into a hollow snicker vanishing. Emotions ran wild across my body, as my mind finally came into realization of what had just transpired. I had actually let the voice goad me into snatching Nightstar's lives away. That had been the main goal of the mission sure, but at what price?

For that split second in time I'd allowed myself to be controlled. Not controlled like a mentor would do to an unruly apprentice, but as a puppet being led along strings by its master. Was I losing the will to control my own actions? Was the voice starting to get the better of me?

I didn't know the answers to these questions. Troubling as they were I had to focus on the bigger task at hand. StarClan. First and foremost was my main priority and objective. Hearing voices or not I couldn't fall prey to this illness when so much had to be done. And with what Icefrost had in mind for these lives I needed to be at one hundred percent.

I felt a forceful tug at the loose crook of skin on my neck. Realizing what was going on I grabbed the bundle of cobweb between my jaws and held on tightly as my body flew straight up into the air. I was headed back to the Dark Forest with the prize Icefrost had so desperately waited and craved for a little less sane, but then again, who truly is?


	6. Chapter 5: Flight of the Buzzard

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I decided for a change of pace and style with this chapter, and wanted it to be just right. Anyway, feedback is appreciated, and enjoy!**

_**Chapter 5: Flight of the Buzzard**_

_**The end has begun.**_

_**I have to hurry.**_

The wind was bitter cold. Whipping violently across the clearing with a ferocious howl that sang vehemently for the taste of it's victims despair. The crunch of soft snow underpaw came with every step the she-cat took, seeming to become louder and louder by the overwhelming sense of urgency and fear that racked her mind. She pressed on further, lowering her head to the wind, avoiding the stabbing pain of cold air that stung, whipping her in the face.

**I have to hurry**, she thought desperately, trudging on further battling the vicious winds. **I have to warn them**.

The she-cat's thoughts were overshadowed by a swirling whirlwind of emotions with fear being the most dominant. Fear. It clawed at her heart, and sunk deeply into her brain making her second guess herself, making her question the consequences of her actions. She was scared, there was no denying that. Scared witless by the horrifying truth she'd discovered.

**How could you have ever trusted them**? Her mind seemed to scream out at her. **How could you have ever let yourself be drawn into their scheme? How could you have ever let him twist your heart**?

Her stomach suddenly tingled at the thought of him. Him. Oh, how could she forget about him. He'd be coming for her by now, there was no question about it. They'd had already sent him on the trail to hunt her down by now, and he'd do it so ruthlessly and uncaring without batting an eye. She hated herself for ever letting him talk her into joining such a terrible cause, but more importantly she hated him for the way he'd unexpectedly snuck into her heart.

It wasn't something she was proud of. One of the main reasons she'd only ever joined his cause was because of the way how he talked and made her feel so special and wanted. She hadn't felt like that in a very long time, not since her kits had been taken unfairly away from her. He found his way into her broken heart with soothing promises, and then when he had it gripped tightly between his claws he exploited it for his gain. And the sad truth about it all was she had let him.

A sharp blast of wind whipped painfully across her face, snatching her away from her thoughts. She cursed herself for having been sidetracked. This was no time for daydreaming, she had to warn them. They needed to know what the Dark Forest had planned not just for them, but the entire forest itself. There was no time to waste at all. Countless lives were at stake here.

The she-cat glanced back behind her to her cream colored companion who struggled to keep up with her pace. The she-cat was sorry for having dragged her all the way out here without a more proper explanation, but she was the only person who could get across the message StarClan so desperately needed to hear.

"We have to hurry, Berrypaw," she called out to the smaller she-cat. "Please, we don't have time to waste."

"But why?" Berrypaw cried out over the wail of the wind. "I don't understand Buzzardflight, why do you need to get to the moonpool so badly? Why me instead of Juniperleaf? What's going on?"

Buzzardflight chose to ignore the apprentice questions. She couldn't tell her now. No, not here anyway. She tried to look ahead, but the snow whipped in the wind so fast, it was blinding. It was impossible to see! Buzzardflight's heart filled with dread. With the wind raging so wildly out of control like this she and Berrypaw would never be able to find their way to the Moonpool in time.

**You have to keep faith**! her mind berated her angrily. **StarClan will show you the way Buzzardflight, just have faith**. Shakily continuing her trudge on through the whirling wind Buzzardflight held on to those words. She hoped they were right. For StarClan and the entire forest sake she truly hoped they were indeed.

(Cloudstorm's POV)

My paws beat soundlessly across the frozen ground, as I accelerated faster through the forest. Snowflakes fell innocently from the sky, gracing the treetops in a glittering display of serene beauty while above head the sky was swarmed in a haze of clouds that seemed to glow, as a cluster of sparkling stars could be made out peeking through their cover. A silent snarl reverberated in my throat, as I watched the stars gloatingly radiate brightfully across the sky.

How they mocked me.

I stretched my legs out farther attempting to gain more coverage across the ground with my paws trailing silently on the forest floor. My breath came out in short ragged grunts, and I cursed inwardly at the predicament I'd suddenly found myself wrapped up in.

How careless was Icefrost to think something like this wouldn't happen? How oblivious was I to think something like this couldn't happen? Argh! Its simply infuriating. Were we really that arrogant in our ability to dupe StarClan that we'd ignored the fact that this was a possibility? How could I have been so mousebrained? I'd let my success with one upping StarClan on two different occasions lure me into a false sense of security that there was nothing in the way of stopping my conquest.

_"You need to run faster, Cloudstorm_!" Icefrost's ominous voice suddenly snarled in my ear. "_We have no other options, do you understand me? If you don't make it in time everything we've worked for will be for naught!"  
><em>  
>Did he think I wasn't aware of that? I held my tongue deciding not to lash back with a snarky reply. I didn't have the luxury or time to argue with Icefrost. Besides he was right anyway. The future of our plan depended on what happened next in the following sequence of events. And if I wasn't up to the challenge all our plans would go up in smoke.<p>

That wretched she-cat! How dare Buzzardflight betray us? Did she not know what the consequences of her betrayal entailed for her? There was no chance of her redeeming herself after this atrocity. The fool! How dare she side with them? The very moment she fled WindClan territory for the Moonpool her fate was sealed. There would be no mercy.

I wouldn't have believed it was true if I hadn't heard it directly from Icefrost's mouth. He'd been in a wrathful mood when I found myself waking unexpectedly in the Dark Forest.

***

"_We have a problem_." he snarled, upon me opening my eyes to find him towering over me.

"_Serious enough to drag me here in the middle of the night_?" I asked, climbing to my paws.

"_Very_." he growled, whipping around and stalking the clearing in a murderous mood.

I watched his progress mildly amused to see his usually stoic demeanor absent. Icefrost wasn't one who usually displayed his emotions out in the open. For him to be now looking like he would slaughter the first living thing within his sight range meant something was up. How serious it was though, I could have never even guessed.

Icefrost stalked around dragging his claws, leaving deep and jagged scars in the ground while all the while muttering darkly to himself. He turned towards me, his lip curled in an angry snarl with white fangs glittering in the dark.

"_We've been betrayed_."

I blinked. "_What do you mean?"_

"_This means we're in danger_!" Icefrost snapped. "_As we speak the WindClan warrior Buzzardflight is currently heading to the Moonpool with the WindClan medicine cat apprentice to warn StarClan of our plans."_

I felt a small explosion go off in the back of my head. "_What, how? Buzzardflight knowns nothing about the plan_."

"_That may have been true up until a few moments ago,"_ Icefrost replied. "_Buzzardflight was caught eavesdropping on a private war council meeting between the cats of the Dark Forest. However, she was able to flee back into the waking world before we could apprehend her."  
><em>  
>I silently absorbed all the information Icefrost was telling me until something caught my attention.<p>

"_War council?"_ I said, narrowing my eyes to slits. _"Why wasn't I aware of this?"_

"_It wasn't anything worth mentioning that you needed to be here for_." Icefrost replied smoothly, the lie rolling off of his tongue like water.

I snorted in disbelief, but otherwise didn't respond. How big of a mousebrain did he take me to be? That gap of distrust I held in my heart for him only seemed to be widening more and more, as the days flew by. The dark tom held far too many secrets for my liking, and sooner or later I saw a clash of heads between the two of us because of it.

"_What do you want me to do about it_?" I asked grudgingly.

Icefrost's cool blue eyes seemed to burn a hole right through my body before answering. "_Kill them, kill them both, and I'll handle the issue of where their spirits go. Even the apprentice, Cloudstorm,_" he reiterated firmly, noticing the displeased look of disgust on my face. "_Correct this folly before everything we've striven for goes to waste_."

"_Consider them dead_," I replied turning away from Icefrost, as the scenery around me began to fade into darkness. "_Just know this_," I called over my shoulder. "_Something like this happens again, and next time you'll be paying the price for your negligence." _

I turned back to face him, glaring and completely serious. This wasn't some idle threat I threw around loosely. He may be the current leader of the Dark Forest, but he wasn't irreplaceable. Just ask the horde of Dark Forest warriors who were currently slinking around in the shadows watching us. They may all be on the same side, but they hadn't gotten their places here in the Place of No Stars for being obeying and loyal warriors. If Icefrost handle his position, I'd see to it that he wasn't around much longer to make any more mistakes.

Icefrost stared back at me matching my gaze, unblinking and still. His cold blue eyes met my burning amber ones, and with the faintest of twitches he smiled. Cold and completely barren of emotion. It unnerved me that with just that one faint smile I was able to catch a glimpse of the true face of the cat who'd nearly succeeded in taking control of the clans hundreds of moons ago.

"_Of course, Cloudstorm_," he replied smiling. "_Whatever you say_."

I opened my mouth to speak when suddenly Icefrost's image shifted before my eyes, clouding over with darkness. Next thing I knew I was groggily waking up in the enclosed sanctuary of the hollow log I'd taken resident up in feeling clogged and confused. I shook my head forcing myself to focus. I rose shaking the lingering vapors of sleep from my mind, and then set off, a urgent sense of purpose hanging over me.

I had a buzzard to hunt down.

(Buzzardflight's POV)

The wind battered relentlessly against Buzzardflight and Berrypaw's defenseless forms. They'd traveled a great distance through the raging snowstorm without much complication, but a foreboding sense of danger still lingered in the back of Buzzardflight's mind.

The paranoia of knowing somewhere out there, Cloudstorm was hunting them made it increasingly difficult to relax. It was also becoming increasingly more strenuous to under sell the great seriousness of the situation with Berrypaw tagging closely behind. The medicine cat apprentice was probably more sound of mind than most warriors in the Clan, but she was still only an apprentice after all.

If it had been up to her, Buzzardflight wouldn't have insisted on dragging the young cat away from the Clan. Her mentor, Juniperleaf was better suited to handle this type of situation, but the elderly medicine cat wouldn't have been able to make the tiring journey from camp to the Moonpool in this type of weather. Pressed with little other choice she went for the next best thing, and convinced Berrypaw to come with her. However, now as they both battled frigid blasts of howling wind and snow she was starting to question if she had instead in fact sealed the young cat's doom.

A violent burst of wind suddenly tore across the two of them sending up a avalanche like cloud of snow that immediately came crashing down, engulfing them both. The snow buried the two hapless she-cats in pile of frozen white powder, crushing them under a suffocating embrace of frigid cold.

Buzzardflight's heart was beating off the charts, as she struggled to fight her way out of the snowy tomb. Besides her she could feel the flailing limbs of Berrypaw who appeared to be panicking under the immense pressure of the snow. Guiding herself by instinct, Buzzardflight managed to claw at a small opening in the snow, widening it until a breath of fresh air came rushing in. Taking a greatly appreciated gulp of air Buzzardflight went on to continue widening the hole slowly digging the two of them out.

Several lengths of time dragged on before Buzzardflight was finally able to drag the two of them out of the snow. Berrypaw opened her jaw wide to engulf a large breath of air, shaking pitifully like a leaf caught in a snowstorm.

"I don't know if I can do this, Buzzardflight," Berrypaw murmured shakily. "All this trouble to get to the Moonpool, and you still haven't told me why? I don't know, this is too much to handle."

"Don't give up on me now," Buzzardflight pleaded. "I swear to you Berrypaw, I wouldn't have dragged you out here in the middle of this storm if it wasn't of the utmost importance. This is a matter of life and death."

Berrypaw looked up at her in surprise. "Life and death," she whispered, eyes wide. "Buzzardflight, what have you found out?"

"It's too much to explain right now," Buzzardflight told her, avoiding her gaze. "All you need to know is that something really bad is going on that threatens the safety of not only StarClan, but the entire forest."

A terrified squeak emitted from Berrypaw. "Oh StarClan why me, Buzzardflight?" she cried. "Why not go to Ravenstar with this information?"

Buzzardflight turned away unable to face Berrypaw's mortified expression. Why hadn't she gone to Ravenstar for help? Was it because she feared the repercussions of her leader wrath for the part she'd played in the murder of that medicine cat? It was possible. If Buzzardflight had gone to Ravenstar with this information she'd have wanted to know the entire story from start to finish. That meant revealing the small time she'd betrayed her Clan by joining the Dark Forest, as revenge against StarClan. It would have greatly tarnished her reputation among her clanmates; however, maybe that should have been her original choice.

"It's too late to try making a run back to the Clan now," Buzzardflight told her. "We've traveled this far already Berrypaw, so will you come with me?"

The cream colored she-cat looked indecisive. Buzzardflight tried not to get her hopes up too high, but if Berrypaw didn't agree to come she'd be lost. She had the slightest idea of how the Moonpool worked, and if what she heard was true it could only be accessed by a Clan leader or medicine cat.

"I-yes, I'll come," Berrypaw finally relented after some time. "If the Clans are really at risk I'll do what I can to help."

Buzzardflight's heart surged with joy, and she cast Berrypaw a thankful glance. They continued on their way braving the harsh sting of the wind, a strong sense of resolution between the two of them. They traveled on farther in silence for several more fox-lengths before Berrypaw suddenly yelp out in surprise.

Buzzardflight instinctfully unsheathed her claws, and turned her attention, heart pounding to the source of Berrypaw's cry.

"Look, Buzzardflight!" Berrypaw cried out again, pointing into the distance with her tail. "There, right there! Do you see it, its the Moonpool!"

Buzzardflight followed Berrypaw's tail, and was immediately caught up in the young cat's joy. No more than possibly a hundred fox-lengths away was the stone hollow that held within it the Moonpool. Buzzardflight was almost at a lost of words to express how relieved she felt at having finally made it.

Motioning for Berrypaw to follow they both streaked through the snow headed straight for the hollow. Feelings of triumph roared proudly throughout Buzzardflight's body. She'd done it, she'd actually made it to the Moonpool. It was almost too much to ask for after all the trouble she'd gone through to make it here, but it finally seemed worth it.

"I think that's quite far enough you two."

Buzzardflight stopped dead in her tracks. No, it couldn't be. Her heart seemed to stop still, as the sinking feeling of despair began to bubble up in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the tom blocking their path. How had he managed to beat them here?

"Your flight ends here, Buzzardflight." Cloudstorm growled, in a low menacing voice.

Buzzardflight closed her eyes, clenching her jaws tightly together, the pressure starting to make her teeth crack. It was all she could do not to scream out loud.

"Buzzardflight, who is that?" Berrypaw whispered, inching closer to her side.

Buzzardflight's mind was a total disarray of thoughts and fleeting emotions. So close! They'd been so close to their goal. Cloudstorm would kill them without hesitation. She could tell from the cold look of indifference in his eyes. She knew this. Deep down despite whatever feelings she may have had for him, she knew that they were in a no win situation. And that's what drove her to this decision.

"Berrypaw," she whispered softly. "When I give the word I want you to make a run for the Moonpool."

"What?" she asked, looking to Buzzardflight in disbelief.

"Don't argue with me, just do it!" Buzzardflight growled. "That tom blocking the path means to kill us. He doesn't care that you're an apprentice or even an medicine cat. He'll kill us both without a seconds hesitation. I'll do everything I can to fend him off while you go to the Moonpool, and give StarClan this message. By the dawn of the next full moon the darkness will rise and attempt to poison the heart of the stars. Tell them that for me Berrypaw, please! They must protect the heart or new order will reign as they fade into oblivion."

"The heart of the stars? Buzzardflight, I have no idea what you're talking about." Berrypaw cried out in exasperation.

"I know you don't," Buzzardflight replied in a soothing tone. "Don't worry StarClan will understand."

Buzzardflight wished there was something more assuring she could say to Berrypaw, but it wasn't possible. They had a coldblooded murderer blocking their way. Taking a deep breath Buzzardflight turned her attention to the main source of her agitation, taking a step forward and unsheathing her claws in the process.

"You know, you really disappointed me, Buzzardflight," Cloudstorm said, unsheathing his own claws. "I thought you understood, I really did. Having your kits stripped unfairly away made you wise to the terror that was StarClan, and the perfect candidate for the Dark Forest's vision of the future. Sadly, it seems you'll betray anyone if things get too hectic for you."

What could she say to that? She was a traitor, a traitor to everyone. She was guilty of the very crime he accused her of. She had betrayed both StarClan and the Dark Forest, including the cat she had been slowly falling in love with. He was right to look at her with such loathing and spite, but tonight she was going to set everything right. The Dark Forest could not be allowed to destroy her home.

"Would you do any different to save the thing you loved?" she asked softly. "I admit I was star struck by your tales and visions of the future, Cloudstorm. I won't lie, you made overthrowing StarClan seem and sound so right."

"And what changed your mind?" Cloudstorm asked, his amber eyes burrowing deep into her soul. "What made you think the Dark Forest's vision for the future was worse than what we already have now?"

Buzzardflight sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment to recollect her thoughts. "It's because I found out the truth. Icefrost has not been honest with you, Cloudstorm. The Dark Forest has a bigger plan that far exceeds toppling StarClan from power. One so horrible that I can't allow you to stop me. And if it means having to kill you, then so be it."

"Really?" Cloudstorm sneered. "You seriously think you can stop me?"

His tone held a mocking air of superiority. Arrogant little brat. Buzzardflight was about to take that over confidence and use it to her advantage.

"I don't think Cloudstorm, I am!" she roared launching herself at the unsuspecting tom.

Buzzardflight's attack took Cloudstorm completely by surprise. Her lithe, but firm body carried by the force of her momentum slammed into his chest knocking the wide eyed tom off balance.

"Go now, run!" she roared to Berrypaw.

Berrypaw threw a terrified glance at Buzzardflight before turning and streaking for the stone hollow. The WindClan warrior followed the apprentice progress which proved to be a fatal mistake. Buzzardflight noticed only too late a streak of silver heading her way, as a paw slammed into her shoulder, slicing through the skin with ease and splattering the snow red with drops of her blood.

A cry of anguish escaped her mouth, as the sting of fresh air hit her wound sending flares of searing pain throughout her body. For a moment Buzzardflight's body seemed to shut down. She look up helplessly into the blazing amber eyes of Cloudstorm, which seemed to scream in rage for her blood, as he reared up for another strike. With instinct as her only guide, Buzzardflight managed to sidestepped the deathly blow, and lashed out to grab the flailing foreleg between her teeth.

Wasting no time she bit down on it with all the force of her muscles, and inwardly winced as she heard the loud crunch of teeth meeting with bone. Cloudstorm yelped in surprise, allowing Buzzardflight to take the initiative and score repeatedly on his chest with a furry of blows. Cloudstorm staggered back from the onslaught trying to put some distance between him and her, but Buzzardflight wasn't letting up.

The two traded blows in a tangle of claws and fangs. Buzzardflight seemed to be getting the upperhand in the exchanges, as she raked her claws angrily down the side of his flank, followed up by two swipes to the ear which she just barely nicked each time. The dark gray tom attempted to backpedale away from Buzzardflight's wild frenzy, and she followed him, eyes afire with burning determination to win.

This battle wasn't just about the survival of her own life. This battle was for the survival of StarClan. This battle was for the survival of preserving the warrior code. This battle was for preserving the memory of Leafbreeze, the cat she and countless others had sat back and watched Cloudstorm kill. But most importantly this battle was for the survival of every living cat who called the forest and lake their home. She'd made a terrible mistake in the past of getting caught up in the Dark Forest's scheme for power, but now she was going to do everything within her power to correct that mistake.

Unfortunately, that was all before Cloudstorm remembered what he too was fighting for.

In that small pocket sized inch of time, as Buzzardflight moved forward, he struck back hard. She never saw it coming. Cloudstorm's eyes seemed to slip out of focus for just one second, but when they regained focus he sent a vicious hook towards Buzzardflight's face that struck her under the chin. The strike left her senseless, snapping her head back with a whirling lurch; the force from the blow traveling all the way down her spine to the tip of her tail. Her body seemed to discombobulate on itself, sending her crumbling to the ground.

Buzzardflight felt removed from the world around her. A deafening ring was going off in her ears, and her mind seemed to be nothing more than an jumbled up buzz of bees. Somewhere in the deep bowels of her mind she felt relieved at the sudden removal from the feelings of pain. It failed to last longer than a minute when a forepaw fell down upon her back like a falling oak sending the air rushing clear out of her lungs. No mercy was spared upon the downed she-cat, as a heavy blow to the back of the head sent her face first into the snow.

She lay there simply trying to fight off the creeping darkness of unconscious, but it appeared Cloudstorm had other things in mind. Grabbing her roughly by the scruff of the neck, Cloudstorm hauled Buzzardflight into the air like a newborn kit, and then tossed her hurtling through the air to land back down onto the ground with a sickening thud.

A ragged cough racked her body making her spit up blood and saliva, as the stars above glittered in the sky.  
>She couldn't feel a thing, her entire body had gone numb. Another fit of coughing struck her body, sending up more globs of blood. She'd failed. The thought was more depressing than she thought it would be. She'd managed to come so far only to be stopped here and killed under the starry sky of the night, as her warrior ancestors watched helplessly from up above.<p>

A dark shadow suddenly clouded her vision. Buzzardflight felt a paw press down heavily on her throat making her gag. A tremor of fear shivered across her body, as Cloudstorm's jeering face appeared.

"You lose." he snarled triumphantly, victory dancing in his amber eyes.

"No." Buzzardflight coughed out. "No, Cloudstorm I win. As we speak Berrypaw is currently making her way down the stone hollow to the Moonpool to tell StarClan the Dark Forest's plan."

"Hmm, well I suppose I'd better hurry then," he snarled, pressing down harder on her neck. "I would oh so enjoy torturing you a little while longer Buzzardflight, but as you said I have to stop your little friend. I suppose I'll just have to settle for killing you here, and letting the Dark Forest claim you all over again."

"What?" Buzzardflight choked out, fear rising in her chest.

"Oh, you didn't think that just because you changed your allegiance back to StarClan before I killed you means your going there?" Cloudstorm laughed cruelly. "No, Buzzardflight, once a member of the Dark Forest, ALWAYS a member of the Dark Forest. The very second you joined you were branded as property of The Place of No Stars. The mark is permanent, and when you took that oath of allegiance you pledged your soul to that place forever."

Cloudstorm let out a crazed laugh, and stared into her eyes, his own wide and sparkling madly, appearing to have the sense of something else, something more sinister pulling the strings from the shadows.

"Take care to avoid all those new clanmates you just tried to betray," he said. "Because they're not going to be pleased to see you."

Cloudstorm lunged forward and sunk his fangs deep into her neck. Buzzardflight tried weakly to dislodge the larger cat, but could do nothing more than give a final silent wail of pain, as blood pooled down her neck soaking her fur, and staining the snow red. Her head flopped back against the snow, eyes dim of life or color, with her face trapped in a dying image of complete horror. Cloudstorm released her neck, and stood over her, a sadistic grin displayed on his face.

(Cloudstorm's POV)

I looked down upon Buzzardflight's crumbled form. Broken, useless, and of no further need, but food for the crows. She lived her life as a coward attempting to flee away from the Dark Forest, and paid dearly for her mistake. I took one final look upon the deceased she-cat's body, and turned away. Pathetic, simply pathetic.

I hurried for the stone hollow in a romp. I had one final loose end to tie up, and planned to get it over with as soon as possible. I found no pleasure in having to kill the apprentice so I'd try to make her death as swift and quick as possible.

My stomach gave a sudden lurch, as I entered the hollow, walking down a narrow path. A jolt of static coursed through my body, and I immediately halted my progress. I felt something. The farther down I traveled the more frequent the jolts coursed through me. I scowled shaking off the effects, and pushed onward. There were ancient forces at work here trying to keep me at bay, but I wasn't too be denied. As I walked down the path I felt my paws fall into dimples in the ground made forming the shapes of paws. Obviously the past marks of cats who'd made this same trek.

I continued onward before a sound made my ears perk up. I focused on the noise, and realized it was the sound of running water. Of course, I'd heard stories that the Moonpool was fed water from a cleft in the wall. I was getting close.

I increased my speed, flying down the path before it suddenly opened up in front of me, and I found myself in a large cavern. I looked up at the many grooves and cliffs formed at the top before my eyes fell down to a small pool in the center of it all. Standing right in front of it with her back turned to me was the cream colored apprentice.

I saw her bending her face down to make contact with the pool waters, and that's when I struck. Catching her completely by surprise, I knocked the apprentice off her feet, and pinned her down before she could even utter a squeak.

I stared down into her panic stricken eyes, an overbearing wave of fear scent wafting off of her. She knew I meant to kill her. The dried blood of Buzzardflight on my fur proved it no matter how much I may have detested killing what I saw to be a kit. Despite myself however, I could feel a small grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. Killing Buzzardflight had sent a huge surge of joy and excitement rushing through my body that I hadn't felt in so long. If I was too kill this apprentice in an even more gruesome fashion maybe I'd get an even bigger rush. My mind imagined the scene as I slashed the apprentice's throat, and watch as she struggled to gasp for air, and the life slowly ebb away from her eyes. Yes. Yes, I would love to see that. I craved it! I-

Wait! What was I talking about? I shook my head confused. Those weren't my thought. Why would I find joy in killing an apprentice?

_**"Don't fight it, Beloved,"**_ the slow sultry purr of the Voice echoed in my mind. _**"Give into your natural urges. Slaughter her! Allow yourself to feel alive, and spill her blood into the Moonpool. It will corrupt it forever, tainting the waters power and severing it's link with StarClan's."**_

I tried to block out the Voice's words, snarling loudly and resisting it's influence. I wouldn't listen. I wouldn't! I'd fallen prey to the Voice's influence once already, and I wouldn't let it over power me again. I was the ruler of my own fate. I made the decision of what I would do, not the Voice!

_**"Why fight it, Beloved?"**_ the Voice asked softly. _**"We both know you're going to do it anyway."**_

"No!" I angrily snarled out loud, causing a terrified whimper from the apprentice under my paw. "No, I refuse to let you take over. This is my body, and only I can make the decision of what to do with it."

_**"Think of what killing this apprentice means,"**_ the Voice said. _**"You get rid of the only other living cat who can threaten your victory, and what's more you get to add the ultimate insult of it all to StarClan by destroying their precious little Moonpool."  
><strong>_  
>I tried to ignore the Voice's words, but my resolve was slipping fast. With a gasp of horror I felt the Voice's presence seep into my fur, entering my muscles, and sending a rush of power coursing through my veins. It was taking over my body, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I felt unstoppable, an insane force of raw power and rage pulsing through me. I turned down to the apprentice, grinning maniacally.<p>

"Time to die little one."

The apprentice opened her mouth to scream out in terror, but it was already too late as I came striking down halting her voice into silence forever. Blood poured from the gapping hole in her neck, staining my paws red, as the rest of it trailed off into the Moonpool. When the blood made contact with the water an echo of a whisper seemed to scream out. The water suddenly blackened, and the once luxurious shine and purity quality that the water had once was gone.

A low rumble of sound slowly began to echo throughout the cavern. It started out as a chuckle, followed by a cackle before transforming into full blown out manic laughter. At first I mistook the laughter for belonging to the voice before I realized that it was actually coming from me.

I was laughing. Whether from insanity, triumph or both I didn't know. I laughed until my sides ached in pain. I laughed until I could no longer breathe. I laughed until I finally managed to drag myself out of the Moonpool. I laughed the entire time I traveled. And even after all that I was still laughing when Goldenshine found me a raving mad mess collapsed in a flower bed of herbs on the outskirts of ShadowClan territory.

The Voice had won.


	7. Chapter 6: Thorns of the Rose

**A/N: Annnnnnnnnd I am back! Sorry for the month long wait, but I'm back and ready now to finish this story. Enough babbling, let's get right into it.**

_**Chapter 6: Thorns of the Rose**_

_**The end draws nearer**_

"_Why, Cloudstorm? Why didn't you save me? Why did you let them take me, take our kits? Where were you when I needed you? Didn't you care, I thought you loved me? Where were you Cloudstorm; why did you let them take me? I hate you! I hate you; do you hear me, Cloudstorm? You caused this! You did this! I'll never forgive you, never. You deserve this! You deserve nothing less than a lifelong sentence of eternity with the very cats you align yourself with. Do you understand me, Cloudstorm? I will never forgive you, nev-!_

"**No! No! No!"**

The sudden wail of anguish tore Goldenshine from his sleep. The golden medicine cat whipped his head around the den confused before focusing on the escalating sound of growls and whimpers coming from the back of his den. With a grim sense of urgency ushering him on, Goldenshine scrambled to his paws, stopping to grab a mouthful of herbs before heading into the dank darkness of the hidden room in the back of the medicine cat den.

The yowls grew in frequency as he drew closer, the commotion having turned violent as he suddenly heard the angry sound of claws slamming into the ground and ripping moss to shreds. Goldenshine silently steeled himself for the opposition he was sure to be met with, as he quickly squeezed through the narrow tunnel into an open wider space. Upon arrival Goldenshine was met with the backlash from the rampage.

The moss bed he had worked so hard to put together laid in tattered pieces, the soft dirt surrounding it ravaged by scores of deep claw strikes sprinkled over by specks of fresh blood. Following the blood specks the scene before him nearly killed the golden cat's spirit, as he was forced to bare the degenerated sight of his comrade.

"Get away! Get away! **Get away!"** a withering mass of gray fur shouted, thrashing about in wild spasms on the ground with its eyes closed.

Goldenshine watched the scene with a torn expression before depositing the herbs on the ground and hurrying over to the figure. **Not again!** His mind seemed to scream in despair, as he firmly latched on to the gray cat's fur, trying desperately to restrain it. The gray cat attempted to shake the smaller form of Goldenshine away from it, but with already tried experience in these same predicaments from the past several days, Goldenshine was able to hold his ground, pushing down harder to hold the thrashing tom down.

"No! No! No!" the gray cat wailed, as Goldenshine pressed it firmly to the ground. "No! No! No! I tried, I promise! I tried!"

The gray cat bucked wildly, flailing its limbs in a poor attempt to dislodge the medicine cat, but they were placed with such poor accuracy, Goldenshine hardly had anything to fear from injury.

"Calm down!" Goldenshine shouted over the gray tom's screeching, narrowly ducking a cuff to the ears. "It's me, Goldenshine! Stop it! Stop it!"

"Forgive me, please!" the tom yowled louder, squirming even harder now in Goldenshine's grip. "I tried! Please understand that I tried!"

As the tussle for superior position between the two continued, it became painfully obvious to Goldenshine that he didn't have the strength to restrain the tormented tom. Even injured and half out of his wits, the tom cat proved too much a raging force of anger for Goldenshine to handle alone. Taking the initiative, the golden tom rolled away from the gray tom to the pile of herbs he'd brought with him.

**I would have rather avoided doing this, but there's no other choice; I have to stop him,** Goldenshine thought grimly, scooping up a pile of poppy seeds. He had to stop the tom from causing any further harm to himself, and this was the only other seeable option without further injuring his already battered form. Goldenshine dived back into the fray, receiving a scratch over his left eye from a flailing paw as he landed on top of the gray tom.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" the gray tom yowled in complete anguish. "Just make it stop, please!" and with that Goldenshine shoved the cluster of poppy seeds into the tom's opened maw, forcing his paw over his mouth so he couldn't spit them back out.

"Just swallow them! Please, just let go!" Goldenshine pleaded, shouting over the tom's thrashing, as his heart beat in wildly erratic rapid concessions.

After several tense heart wrenching moments, the tom's thrashing finally started to weaken, before all but ceasing as it surrendered into a heap of exhaustion. Goldenshine let out a large breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding, before climbing off of the larger cat. It was getting worse he noted with unconcealed fear at the situation. The other fits were tamed compared to tonight's wild rampage by the gray tom.

The golden tom let out a shaky breathe, slowly regaining his composure before he turned his attention back to his patient. The gray tom lay completely incapacitated, his flank rising slowly up and down slowly, as the tom took heavy deep breathes. Walking back over to the tom, he placed the tip of his nose to its flank before suddenly jumping back as if he'd just been clawed in the face. He was on fire!

Goldenshine shook his head before placing a paw on the tom's flank, stifling in shocked at the amount of heat that was wafting off the tom's body. **How can that even be possible?** Goldenshine's mind seemed to scream out loud as a sense of hopelessness fell over the golden tom. **All those herbs I gave him. Feverfew and lavender for the fever, goldenrod and marigold for the wounds, nothings working!**

The golden medicine cat lay distraught at the worsening condition of his patient. All the cuts and scratches he'd tirelessly recovered and patched up with herbs were once again split open and oozing bright red blood. It was as if he'd never once applied any medicine to them in the first place! And the fever, oh, he couldn't explain it all. For four days Goldenshine had fed the tom at least a moon's worth of herbs meant to reduce fevers, but if anything the tom's fever had only increased in worsening.

That empty pit feeling of despair was slowly crawling up to claim Goldenshine's sanity. Taking another deep breathe, Goldenshine tried desperately to calm his nerves. He had to stay in a sound state of mind if there was any hope of possibly healing his ailing patient. Slowly allowing himself to fall back into the regular day to day life of Clan medicine cat, Goldenshine gathered the medicine that would be necessary; and then set to chewing the herbs up into a pulp before beginning to slather the medicine over the many oozing cuts and reopened wounds on the tom's form.

The gray tom had been in bad shape when Goldenshine had first come across him in ShadowClan territory, but his condition had slowly started to begin growing considerably worser by the day. The wounds refusal to close up and heal had been a source of troubling bewilderment for Goldenshine; but that hadn't even come close to the main conundrum that had him up at night pondering over the tom's condition.

No matter what he did or tried, Goldenshine was unable to wake him up from this deep sleep. Something deeper, more dark and sinister had overcome the gray tom, resulting in this strange degeneration of state. That something went farther than just mere wounds, or an exceptionally increasing high fever. No, whatever mysterious ailment had overcome the tom lay deep within his nightmare infested mind.

"What has the world done to you, Cloudstorm?" he quietly murmured to the prone form of the dark gray tom.

_**My heart is broken, my soul is on fire, and my dreams are shattered**_

_**Crushed**_

I feel as though I'm being flattened by the very pressure of the world. My thoughts lay in fragments; my minds unable to make sense of much of anything. I feel empty inside, so hollow and insignificant. My senses are a total disarray of loose, fleeting emotions. I can't make way or thought where up or down is. Where am I? I-I can't remember. What am I doing here? Why am I in this cold, empty dark abyss of nothingness?

'_**Forget her!'**_ a voice suddenly hisses in my ear. _**'Extol her memory from your mind! She doesn't love you, Cloudstorm; she never did.'**_

Forget her? I wonder. Why? How could I forget her? Why would I forget her? I love my mate. I love Amb-.

'_**She doesn't deserve you!'**_ the Voice hisses angrily. _**'She's a meaningless spec of emptiness in your life, beloved. She could never understand the great sacrifice you're making in her honor. She could never began to fathom the burden of dedication you've placed upon yourself to right the wrongs committed against you. How could she, beloved? But I understand. I see your struggle; I crave revenge just as you do! Love me, and forget her, beloved!'**_

"Love you?" I answer back. "How- I don't even know you. Who are you? Are you the one who's brought me here?"

'_**Who am I, beloved? Why, I'm the one who can give you everything you crave. I can give you your heart's desire, Cloudstorm. I can do all that you wish and more, beloved, but only if you give your love to me. Forget the RiverClan medicine cat! She ceased to exist the day she died. Let me shower you with the love and adoration that she failed to do.'**_

"You're crazy!" I snarl. "What you're talking about isn't even possible. Nothing you would ever give me could ever compare to the love of my mate. What you've warped your mind into believing will never happen. Do you hear me? I would never love you."

I listen for a response from the Voice, but strangely enough it'd gone silent. Had I done it? Had I managed to convince it that the only love in my life would be my mate and my mate alone?

'_**I see that I haven't yet managed to destroy that thin line of foolishness you seem eager to cling to, Cloudstorm,' the Voice hissed softly. 'No matter, you will be mine, beloved. I get what I want always. I'll just have to try a little harder to persuade you, that's all. I admire the sheer durability of your will for being able to fight me off for this long, but in the end you will succumb to my love. It's only a matter of time.'**_

I lay there, floating in darkness, wondering what was next. I couldn't be sure how far this voice would be willing to go to make me its, but i- arghhh!

A sudden pain envelopes me, imaginary fangs trailing up my spine before sinking into my neck, sending a rush of venom spreading across my body. I yowl out in anguish, as my blood begins to bubble and boil underneath my skin. I thrash wildly about in the nothingness, as the pain takes me over and I feel as if my entire body's just caught fire. My anguished yowls of pain fade away into the wide abyss around me, not a single soul around to aide me.

'_**You'll scream and you'll plead, beloved,' the Voice crooned in my ear. 'But it'll only stop until you've resigned yourself to be mine.'**_

"Never!" I spat in defiance, as agony over took me.

I thought my sign of unwillingness would dissuade the Voice to continue this torture, but it only seemed to excite it more, making it cackle out in wild glee.

'_**This is why I crave you!'**_ the Voice laughed manically in wild pleasure. _**'That defiance, that fire, that power of refusal to submit, it drives me wild! Oh, I love it so much, Cloudstorm. You have no idea.'**_

An explosion of searing agony erupted inside of my body as I felt myself overcome with the pain of the bones inside of my body beginning to drip and melt away. I was losing myself to the pain being afflicted upon me. My essence itself was being swallowed up by the mad presence of the Voice. It was with a fearful gasp of shock, as I felt my fangs began to dribble and melt away inside my mouth, I realized I wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. The Voice would stop at nothing until I was firmly and without doubt within her grasp.

I-I couldn't do this alone. I'd gotten accustomed to handling things by myself lately, but in this case my will alone wasn't going to be enough to stop this. I felt helpless, so completely and utterly useless to do anything to stop this torment.

"Help!" I cried out into the abyss. "I can't stop it. I can't stop her. I can't-"

And then it hit me. Like clouds parting in the sky to reveal the sun; I had finally just realized who was doing this to me. I knew the identity of the Voice! Through the searing pain that tore across my body, a small light of hope flashed through the darkness that clouded my mind. I knew who could help him get out of this, get the Voice's manipulating presence out of my mind. I needed one cat, one person who had the skill, connections, and knowhow of how to free me. I needed-

"_Goldenshine!"_

The golden medicine cat looked up from sorting his herbs, as the large bulky form of dark brown tom forced his way into the den. Barging right in in a romp the tom tripped over his overlarge paws, stumbling wildly and scattering Goldenshine's herbs. Not pausing to so much as apologize for scattering the herbs he had spent all morning organizing, the brown tom caught himself as shouted.

"Nightstar's coughing up blood again, Goldenshine! Toadstep wants you in her den now!"

**One problem right after another,** Goldenshine thought gloomy before snapping to attention. Scouring through the scattered herbs, he found the ones that would be of valued use before bounding out of the den.

He flew through the camp, gaining curious glances from his Clanmates as he headed towards the leader's den. A rapid succession of harking coughs could be heard coming from inside the den, as Goldenshine approached. He knew what was awaiting him before he even stepped paw inside Nightstar's den, but even after all this time he still wasn't use to what had become of the once proud cat.

He slowly entered the dim den, noticing the large intimidating form of the moss colored deputy, Toadstep, as he drew closer to stand over the fragile form of Nightstar. A ragged cough wracked the she-cat's fragile body, rippling all the way across her deteriorating frame.

Her once full and prominent round face sparking with life and energy, now appeared sunken and hollow, the skin holding it together looking saggy and resembling a grotesque mask. Her breathes came in short wheezing bursts, every single one taken seeming to tire her out more and more. The once glossy and glowing black pelt that adorned her body was now dull and appearing to be missing several turfs of fur.

"Hello, Goldenshine," Nightstar greeted in a tired voice.

A shiver of disgust ran across Goldenshine's back, as Nightstar's eyes locked onto his face. He'd known of the terrible fate that awaited Nightstar that faithful night she'd dreamt off to sleep, but even he was just as shocked and horrified as the Clan the next morning when she'd literally crawled out of her den, looking half dead and proclaiming to the Clan that from that day onward ShadowClan shunned the higher power that was StarClan.

As he'd been told to expect, the Clan was horrified by the news. The majority of them had assumed that Nightstar was simply out of her mind. Despite their misgivings, Nightstar strongly urged them that StarClan had committed the first offense by dooming ShadowClan to death. The Clan had lain in a stupefied hush, as Nightstar recounted her dream of how Leafbreeze had arrived from StarClan itself, to secretly tell her that they had voted to leave ShadowClan to the mercy of an upcoming storm.

Some of the Clan took it as a sign that StarClan had truly and fully abandoned them, and were quick to side with Nightstar; however, the remaining majority of the Clan were more reluctant to join. They'd grown up their entire life believing StarClan would always be there to protect them, and couldn't accept the fact that they would so easily throw them all to the wolves.

Unperturbed, Nightstar was quick to remind the Clan that ShadowClan had never much been in StarClan's good graces, considering all of the fallouts their Clan had had with StarClan over the moons. It was a matter of time, Nightstar had angrily told them. StarClan had never quite forgiven ShadowClan's past faults; and when the opportunity arised to do something about it they made their decision to eradicated them.

Goldenshine had listened to all of this with a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew it was all necessary to achieve the goal of perfect Clan life, but even he found misgivings and remorse at the part he'd played in the deformation of his once proud leader. Nightstar hadn't been the same since the night she'd had all her lives, except one, stripped away. Disgust was one way to put it. For a while he could hardly stand to continue on with the façade, becoming increasingly more self-loathing of himself, and the lie he stood for.

With a heavy heart Goldenshine had spoken out to the Clan, saying how he firmly agreed with Nightstar and that ShadowClan was better off on their own. Many members of the Clan were absolutely baffled that the medicine cat himself would agree with the leader's wild tale. It had left some unsettled to be truthful, but in the end it had done the trick, and ShadowClan had slowly started to edge away from the warrior code. In many ways not much changed. The warriors still hunted for the Clan, kits were apprenticed under a mentor, and Nightstar still ruled over the Clan.

The only differences were that Nightstar refused to be known by the last name star and returned to her warrior name of Nightclaw, along with there no longer being praise or guidance asked to StarClan during Clan ceremony. There was also the thing of all further medicine cat's being banned to the Moonpool, but truth be told Goldenshine couldn't have gone back if he wanted to. Long before his alliance with the Dark Forest had been certified, Goldenshine had found himself unable to access the water and speak with his warrior ancestors.

He hadn't known what to make of it, and feared telling Leafbreeze in terror that StarClan had in fact shunned him. It wasn't until later on that he discovered that it was _her_ doing that stopped him from speaking with them. As she had claimed him as her apprentice, he was no longer allowed to share tongues with StarClan. It was one of the many _laws_ that she had decreed for him to follow, and he did it all with the notion he would be punished failing to comply with them all.

A sudden giggle echoed through Goldenshine's mind, and he quickly shook it off, bringing his attention back to the present. Getting caught up in thoughts about _her_ didn't bode well for his sanity.

Laying the herbs he'd brought down in front of him, Goldenshine then began the task of checking Nightstar's condition. Sniffing her breathe, he caught the salty metallic smell of blood on the she-cat's breath, and pulled forward a small pile of tansy.

"I've brought some tansy to help out with your cough," he spoke, while checking the healing scar on her chest for any infection. "I've covered it in a little honey so it'll go down a little easier. How have you been feeling lately?"

"Besides being cramped up in here for too long, I'm fine," Nightstar responded, bending down to lap up the tansy leaves.

"Any stiffness in your joints or aches and pains?"

"None that I haven't already told you about," she rasped.

"How's the scar holding up?" he asked, taking a careful whiff.

"It's been feeling better since the medicine you put on it yesterday, Goldenshine."

"Okay, only checking," he murmured, feeling one last time on her throat. Turning to Toadstep, he said, "Make sure she has plenty of fresh water, and maybe a bite to eat, Toadstep. Also make sure her beddings kept fresh, and she isn't cooped up in here every day. A nice jog around the camp would do her some good."

"I'm right here Goldenshine. You don't have to talk to Toadstep like I'm some naughty kit that be trusted to take care of herself," Nightstar rumbled in an annoyed tone.

"Sorry, Nightstar," he apologized, dipping his head. "I'm only concerned about your health."

"My health isn't something you should be preoccupied with," she snorted, laying her head down on her paws. "We have to be ready for the storm, Goldenshine. ShadowClan has to survive."

"We'll be fine as long as we stick together," he responded, turning to exit the den. "I promise, Nightstar. ShadowClan will live to see a brighter horizon."

As he exited the den, Goldenshine nearly yowled out in exasperation, as he'd once again been forced to lie to his leader. He desperately wished for the words he'd told her to be true, but the real truth was Goldenshine was more or less out of the loop of the Dark Forest plans. The small tidbit of information he was passed here and there from _her_ was all that he ever knew what was going on in that forest. Cloudstorm was probably the most heavily involved with the operation, and Goldenshine doubted that even he knew everything that was going on behind the scenes.

The rest of the day seemed to pass by in flashes. One moment, Goldenshine was in the nursery dealing with a nasty cold from one of the kits, and the next he was pulling thorns out various warriors paws. Goldenshine hardly seemed to notice the sun's progressing across the sky until he found himself back in his den, night having the sky.

The golden tom heaved a deep sigh as he slowly lowered his defenses, falling back into the identity of the small, timid tom he usually hid away from the Clan. Being catapulted into the big leagues as the Clan's new medicine cat had put a whole new surge of responsibility on him. The time in which the Clan had still been reeling from Leafbreeze's death had called for a tom that would show only confidence and swiftness at the latest sign of illness. That was the identity that he'd ben force to take among his Clanmates. There wasn't time for the shy or timid tom that he was on in the inside. The Clan needed a strong showing from him that they were in good hands, and more or less he'd achieved that.

Alone in the sanctity of his den, however, Goldenshine was able to be himself. Even if it was only for a moment of peace, he could show his true face and not be judged. He closed his eyes letting the slow whistle of the wind outside lull him into a sense of comfort. A sudden disturbance from the back of the den tore him for his stupor. With a click of remembrance, he realized that it must be Cloudstorm again. Of course, how could he have forgotten?

Without pause Goldenshine headed towards the back of the den. Squeezing inside, Goldenshine waited for his eyes to grow use to the darkness before focusing his attention of Cloudstorm. The gray tom was curled in a puffy ball sleeping restlessly. Goldenshine assumed that another nightmare was simply plaguing the tom, but as he grew closer he caught a string of muttering that made him perk his ears up in surprise.

"Golden…forest…..no….help-rose..dark," Cloudstorm rambled on, twitching angrily in his sleep. "Shine…dark…help…rose…dark forest… help…golden."

Goldenshine blinked in surprise, slowly digesting all that he was hearing. _Dark Forest? Rose? Golden and shine?_ Goldenshine! Cloudstorm had said his name. Was Cloudstorm speaking out loud of what was wrong? _Dark Forest._ Yes, he'd clearly heard him say something about the Dark Forest. Goldenshine shook his head angrily trying to understand.

Was Cloudstorm somehow trying to reach out to him? Did the Dark Forest have something to do with what was going on with him? Maybe, just maybe if he journeyed to the Dark Forest he'd find out what was going on. At the very least someone could tell him where Cloudstorm had last been before he'd found him laughing manically to himself in ShadowClan.

**Rose.**

Goldenshine's blood suddenly ran cold. No. No, she wouldn't dare do- there was no way that she could have…but that would explain why he couldn't wake Cloudstorm up. What about that night she talked to him, and the catmint? That would certainly explain everything. Did this mean what he feared then?

A sudden flash of terror stopped Goldenshine's heart cold, as a sinister giggle echoed throughout his head, and the name of the cat responsible for Cloudstorm's current state slipped out of his mouth.

"Rosethorn."

"Of course!" he muttered to himself, searching wildly through his collection of herbs. "It'd be just like her to go after a tom like Cloudstorm. Tom's with afflicted pasts attract her." Goldenshine murmured, as he pulled out the herb he was seeking.

Goldenshine knew that what he was about to attempt was either incredibly stupid and dangerous, or exceptionally brave. Possibly it could be a combination of the two. Swallowing the poppy seed in one gulp, Goldenshine headed back to where Cloudstorm, and laid himself next to the dark grey tom, positing himself so that both their heads touched. Rosethorn had only ever told him about the ability to walk upon another cat's dream in theory, but tonight he was going to put it to the test.

There was no telling of what horrors awaited him, as he traveled deep within the Dark Forest; however, Goldenshine's overpowering instinct to aide cats in need was overriding his fear of retaliation from Rosethorn for doing this. As he felt his eyelids begin to droop and grow heavy, Goldenshine centered all his attention on Cloudstorm's dark gray form.

**Concentrate!** He told himself as sleep began to claim his senses. **Find Cloudstorm. Focus on his body signature, and track it to the area in the Dark Forest where he's being held.** Goldenshine focused all his mental mind power on this; and as darkness claimed his sight he only hoped that he would be able to help.

The moment Goldenshine opened his eyes his senses were immediately attacked with the overbearing smell of crowfood. The smell burned Goldenshine's nostrils like acid, making the golden tom stumble backwards blindly before stopping as a sharp pain pricked his fur. The stinging pain forced Goldenshine to stop as he turned around and realized he'd run into a thornbush. Suddenly, something clicked together. Glancing around Goldenshine realized with a bitter sense of confirmation that he himself was standing right in the middle of a thorn like forest.

As the reeking scent of crowfood began to cloud his senses, Goldenshine turned his gaze upward to confirm his final suspicion, littered throughout the throngs of thorns inhabiting the area were the mangled forms of pieces of prey. There was no longer denying it, he realized with a sinking feeling despair. He'd traverse these same throngs of thorns on numerous occasions on his goal to meet with his mentor for lessons: Rosethorn.

The sudden thought of her name set off an explosion of screeches, startling Goldenshine, as the forest of thorns exploded with a cluster of black crows. Goldenshine ducked down, avoiding the crows that flew overheard before disappearing off into the dark sky.

Goldenshine warily shook himself, steeling his nerves to accomplish what he'd come out here to do. He had to find Cloudstorm; and if he knew his own mentor like he thought he did, Cloudstorm would be somewhere near the center where she lurked.

Setting off without pause, Goldenshine began the slow agonizing task of navigating the wild throngs of thorns. He had to be careful how he moved through here because one wrong step or trip would leave him severely cut up. Subconsciously, he suspected that was the way Rosethorn had made it on purpose. She just loved to make others suffer. It was her nature.

Goldenshine still remembered the first time he'd met her. There wasn't a word to sum up all the fear and complete blinding terror he'd felt at meeting her. Rosethorn wasn't a kind cat. Truthfully, no cat that was in the Dark Forest was. No, when he said unkind, she embodied a different type of evil and sinister streak that no other cat in the Dark Forest, past or present, possessed.

_**Rosethorn**_

One of the earliest medicine cats in Clan history, as well as infamous killer. She wasn't spoken of in Clan lore, and with good reason. Rosethorn was a cat devoid of sympathy and compassion that reveled in the death and destruction of others. Before meeting her, Goldenshine had scarcely heard of her before. It was time before he learned that Rosethorn's name was a taboo among the Clans.

It sparked fear and confusion, with some cats going as far to state that her spirit would rise from the dead and kill anyone who dared utter it. Her crimes were said to be legendary in nature with her name forever living in infamy. From the scarce information that he'd managed to gain on her, it was said she had been known as a prolific kit killer back in her time. Along with that, she also delved in what other cats would call questionable acts of the study of medicine. Rosethorn's methods were in a way unethical. From her studies she managed to discover and do things no other cat would ever think was even possible, like say, keeping the heart of an already dead cat preserved and still beating alive.

It was a bloody history shrouded in mystery and herbs. And now she had somehow managed to drag Cloudstorm into it. The throngs of thorns suddenly began to clear, and Goldenshine could just make out the sight of an opening clearing. Clawing his way through the last branches of thorns, Goldenshine found himself in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by the thorns all around.

Peering around, he could find no sign or scent the smell of Rosethorn. Taking a few tentative steps forward further, Goldenshine caught sight of the shadow of some dark form. Drawing closer, he realized with a surged of joy that it was Cloudstorm! Racing over Goldenshine halted in his steps, as he saw that entwined tightly around Cloudstorm's body, piercing his flesh were the thick roots of thorns.

Goldenshine drew closer, trailing his eyesight over Cloudstorm, who he realized was unconscious. The thorns were woven tightly over ever seeable inch of his body, and Goldenshine wondered briefly if the gray tom was not in fact dead. Peering closely, Goldenshine thought he could just make out the steady sign of Cloudstorm's nostrils flaring in and out. With the knowledge that he wasn't too late, Goldenshine sank his fangs into one of the vines, and began to tug.

It was slow and tedious. Goldenshine had to be completely careful that he didn't pull on one thorn to hard making another then tighten significantly on another part of Cloudstorm's body. As Goldenshine went to work severing the several thorns, he slowly almost unconsciously began to zone the world around him, focusing intently only on freeing Cloudstorm. In many ways this was exactly how he did his work patching up and healing the cats of his Clan. The only difference this time was Goldenshine was trying to save someone from another cat instead of sickness or injury.

Goldenshine clipped the thorns away, taking steady breathes to stay calm, before long there were only a few reaming strands keeping Cloudstorm imprisoned to the ground. For a brief moment Goldenshine actually played with the notion that he'd be able to free Cloudstorm and get away unsuspected by Rosethorn. That thought lasted all but a second, however, as a silky voice suddenly crooned in his ear.

"My, my, Goldenshine, how very disappointed I am in you."

Before the shock of fear could fully overtake him, Goldenshine was violently slung away from Cloudstorm, landing on the ground with a thud. Goldenshine wheezed in pain as the air rushed out of his lungs, before moments later they were knocked out again, as a clawed paw slammed into his chest piercing his flesh.

The claws dug deeper into his flesh, bringing an agonizing screech from Goldenshine, as a snarling face appeared hanging over him. With blood pounded in his ears, as fear reeking waves off of his pelt, Goldenshine stared into the glittering green eyes of an all-white she-cat who laughed mockingly.

"You've been a very bad apprentice, Goldenshine," Rosethorn mocked, in that crooning whine of a voice she had "So very bad indeed. I think you need to be _punished!"_

She sunk her claws deeper into his chest, causing a slow trail of blood to started leaking out staining his fur. Rosethorn leaned down and lapped up a taste of his blood, smiling back down at him, reveling blood stained fangs.

"You've disappointed me so very much tonight, Goldenshine," she whispered, digging her claws even further into his chest. "Out of the kindness of my heart I take you under my wing, teaching you various secrets and trades of medicine that any other cat in the forest would have killed to know. But no, I chose you, and look how you've repaid me."

"You're torturing Cloudstorm!" Goldenshine screeched out, as the pain in chest increased. "For what, he hasn't done anything to anger you. We're all on the same side here."

"Oh, don't you go thinking I don't know that," she whispered knowingly, as if he were some clueless kit. "I'm well aware of where Cloudstorm's allegiance lies, and it's precisely that reason I'm doing all of this. You see instead of dedicating himself to a she-cat who understands what it means to be scarred by StarClan, and can share in his pain. He's duped himself into believing that everything he's doing is in name for the RiverClan medicine cat that passed."

"I don't understand!" Goldenshine gasped out in pain. "Cloudstorm's mate is his guiding force. It's because that she died that any of this is possible."

"No!" Rosethorn snarled, slashing Goldenshine across the face. "No!" she snarled over the golden tom's agony filled shriek. "That she-cat is nothing more than a hindrance that is keeping Cloudstorm from realizing who he truly loves. _Me._ Who helped Icefrost come up with the layered plan to destroy StarClan so Cloudstorm could gain his vengeance? _Me._ Who told you where to find catmint so Cloudstorm could save his little Clan suffering from greencough? _Me!_ I've done everything I could to please him, and all I ask in return is his love. But no, he still loves _her!_ He still only stays loyal to that wretched RiverClan water rat! He's-"

"About to kill you!" a voice snarled from behind her.

Suddenly, in a flash of gray, Cloudstorm barreled into Rosethorn knocking her off Goldenshine. Goldenshine exhaled at the sudden release of pressure off of his chest, and looked up in shock as he watched Cloudstorm attack Rosethorn.

_**Free**_

Free, I was free! Free of Rosethorn's control! Free of her spell! Free of her manipulation! And now free to kill her!

I wasted no time in attacking her. As soon as I'd overthrown the last remaining lingering effects of her sleep induced spell, I ripped myself free of the thorns and launched myself at her. With thunderous blow after blow, I tore through her skin splattering blood everywhere. I dug my fangs deep into her skins, relishing in the loud crunch of teeth meeting bone, as I then tossed her into the air.

She thudded to the ground with an echoing snap, and I jumped all over her clawing at every inch of exposed skin I could sink my claws into. I lost myself in a bloody haze, rage the only factor of emotion I let reign over me. This was for all the nightmares I'd been forced to withstand. This was for all the horrible hallucinations I was forced to witness. But most of all this was for revenge!

Laughter? No! Why was she laughing? As I stood over Rosethorn's blood soaked body, there she laid, the crazed white she-cat looking me directly in the face, laughing maniacally. I didn't understand it. How was she- how could she-arrgh! I reared up on my hind legs before coming crashing back down, landing directly on her chest and hearing the sickening shatter of bones.

Rosethorn choked horribly, coughing up globs of blood before falling right back into a wild pitch of gleeful giggling.

"Shut up!" I demanded. "Shut up!" I roared, spitting into the mad she-cat's face.

But it was no use. No matter how violently I beat her or how much I shouted, she still laughed. She laughed mockingly and without fear of death. I should have guessed as much, seeing as she was already dead.

"That's right Cloudstorm," she cackled. "Unleash your hate! Unleash your fury upon me! I love it so much! I love you so much! Relish in the joy of my pain, of my broken bones. Do to me what I've done to countless other cats. Show me how much alike we truly are," she hissed in wild glee, a crazed look in her eyes. "It's been so long since I've felt the touch of another cat, especially one as lively as you. Let your hate surge, as your claws rip through my fur while you ravage my body. It excites me Cloudstorm! It really does."

I looked down upon the insane she-cat in disgust. What kind of depraved creature was she? Me and her the same? That was impossible. I was the ex-deputy of ThunderClan while she was the infamous kit killer of the four Clans. I wasn't nothing like her. I would never be like her.

"I don't kill cats for the simple fact that it brings me pleasure!" I roared at her.

"But isn't that what you're doing right now?" a voice called from behind me.

I turned to see Goldenshine limping towards me, that same blank stare he used when healing cats etched across his face.

"What are you talking about?" I snarled. "This she-cat, _your_ mentor, tortured and imprisoned my mind so she could force me to become her mate. She made me think I was losing my mind! If that isn't reason enough to kill her then what is?"

"Not this," Goldenshine stated plainly. "You've proven your point, Cloudstorm. You've beaten her. You've proved that your will is stronger than hers. So stop. Prove her wrong one last time and let her go."

"Let her go?" I sneered at him. "I'm curious, Goldenshine. Tell me why? Give me one reason why this thing deserves to live."

"We need her," he responded evenly. "Just like I need her to continue training me, you need her to help Icefrost give you the power to destroy StarClan. She may be mad, but she's useful. And I just can't sit back and watch you become the thing that you so just vehemently screamed that you weren't."

I stared at Goldenshine, my mind running rampant trying to process all that I'd just heard. He brought up an interesting argument for sure, but I still believed that Rosethorn should die. I wasn't sure if I'd actually be able to wipe away a cat as twisted and corrupt as her, but I was willing to try. However, what Goldenshine had said about me proving I wasn't like her made a strong point.

I looked for Goldenshine to the still grinning Rosethorn under my paws, and got off.

"You're not worth it to kill," I spat at Rosethorn. "But make no question about it. If you ever cross me again, if I ever hear the slightest echo of a giggle, I will kill you. No matter what Goldenshine or anyone else says about you being important to the mission, I will end you!"

I looked to Goldenshine, and shook my head in wonderment. "You're something else, you know that?"

"I only do what I feel is right, Cloudstorm," he murmured softly walking over to check the extent of Rosethorn's injury "And what I thought was right was saving you from Rosethorn even though it meant going against her."

"Yes, I suppose I should thank you for that," I said. "That's twice now you've helped me out when you didn't have to, and strangely enough I found myself in your debt."

"You don't owe me anything, Cloudstorm," he answered. "I told you once before that my only dream in life is to help cats in need, and I'll continue to do that until the day I die."

I thought over what Goldenshine said, and realized that there probably wasn't another cat out in the world that was as unselfish as him. Every cat had flaws, but he made it increasingly hard to spot his. He was an oddity that he was, but one that I owed my life to.

"What about her?" I asked, motioning to Rosethorn.

"I'll have to take care of her until she's finally back at full health," he answered. "But don't worry," he added, noticing my expression. "Her days of preying on your mind are over. You have my word."

I gave a brief nod to Goldenshine before dipping my head to him in respect. "Thank you. I don't know how or when, but I promise you I will repay you for all that you've done for me, Goldenshine."

With a last fleeting glance at the golden medicine cat caring over his injured mentor, I turned away heading into the throngs of thorns, as the area around began to fade away into darkness at my first signs of waking. While playing with my mind Rosethorn had taught me something. I'd spent the last six moons of my life trying to live with the guilt of my mate's death, and suffering terribly for it. As I realized the confrontation with StarClan was now just within more grasp over the horizon, I knew that to make it now I would have to channel my hate and anger and unleash it upon them.

It was time to stop living in the past, and now start trying to survive in the present. To live is to suffer, and to survive is to find meaning and to suffer. And make no doubt about it. I was going to do everything within my power to make sure that I would survive long enough to watch the downfall of StarClan.


	8. Chapter 7: A Moment of Reflection

**A/N: I'd like to make note of that in about three more chapters and an included epilogue, this story will officially be over. Anyway, on to the story.**

_**Chapter 7: A Moment of Reflection**_

_**The end is almost upon us**_

A thick, white mist circled the ancient pines that framed the forest. It sprang up from nothing, crawling along the roots and leaves of the forest floor, before breathing its way around the thick stout trunks of the trees. Within the mist, silence hung heavy over the forest. The lush green canopy was obscured from sight by the fog, its color being swallowed by the blanket of whiteness that shrouded it.

The forest lay swamped, clouded over by an impenetrable shield of mist that refused to yield to any earthly force or power. The area was abandoned of any sound, as if the very thought of noise had been forbidden. There didn't seem to be any signs of life when suddenly, in heart of the nothingness, blinked two green eyes, penetrating the fog with a burning stare of intensity.

A slight part in the fog's defenses revealed the sparkling pelt of a ginger furred she-cat. She stood still, illuminated by a small bubble of seeable light radiating off her star speckled fur, which seemed to be keeping the fog's unforgiving mist at bay from her being. Her eyes were locked ahead, staring intently into the endless depths of the wisping wall of fog, as if waiting for some sudden movement or action to take place.

An overwhelming sense of unease had led her to this dense part of the forest, where very few cats ever dared to venture. She had tried fruitlessly on numerous occasions to delude herself into believing this was not even capable of being an possibility, but as she stood there, watching the minuscule, but small noticeable signs of shifting and wavering in the fog, her worst fears had just been confirmed.

"So, you've noticed it also, then, Brightstar?" a voice suddenly called from behind her. "The barrier is weakening."

Brightstar whirled around just as a sudden burning flare of light pierced through the fog, vanquishing the thick vapors. She shied away from the bright array of color, screening her eyes with a raised paw before the golden shine suddenly died away. Standing there, covered in the majestic aura of the stars that adorned his pelt, stood a golden brown tabby.

"This is certainly a surprise," Brightstar said, dipping her head to the new arrival. "I would have never pegged someone as lazy as you to actually crawl out of his hole, and make the tireless walk all the way here, Lionstar."

"I guess the same could be said for you, Brightstar," Lionstar said, walking over to join the fiery she-cat's side. "With all that's been happening down below in the forest, I expected you of all cats to currently be looking to see what that Cloudstorm character's been up to. Instead, I find you here away from your usual post at the barrier."

"It's not as if much can be done about, Cloudstorm from up here," Brightstar growled. "He's successfully managed to cut off communication with the Clans by destroying the Moonpool. And what's more, he was able to kill two more cats, one actually being a medicine cat apprentice, and get away with it. Did you know that Robinwing and Thornclaw still haven't managed to retrieve their otherworldly bodies? From what they've told me, it's as if a wall of thorns is shielding them from getting to them."

"Ah, but of course the Dark Forest is very resourceful, Brightstar," Lionstar noted plainly. "While we continue to lose followers from their meddling in Clan affairs, their numbers continue to soar, as they swiftly and quietly are able to recruit cats without our knowing."

"That's what worries the council," Brightstar hissed angrily. "Since the moment they were able to brainwash Nightstar and ShadowClan away from us, they fear contacting any other cats in the Clans, leaders included, in fear that may already be aligned with the Dark Forest."

"A curious ploy of action," Lionstar said, "But one," he added, flickering his tail towards the wavering cloud of mist, "that is not working."

"How soon do you think then?" Brightstar asked Lionstar. "How soon before you think they finally manage to break through."

Lionstar's whiskers twitched at the question, but otherwise he didn't answer. Not like Brightstar had expected him to anyways. Down below their influence over the Clans had slowly begun to slip with every cat the Dark Forest drew to their side.

It was that faith and belief in StarClan the Clans had that was the fueling force for the power that StarClan used to keep the Dark Forest from breaking into StarClan. But when the Dark Forest finally managed to draw enough believers away from StarClan, the barrier would shatter; and with it an army two times the size of StarClan, filled with cats bent on one thing, and one thing only: Destruction.

Suddenly, a soft angelic flutter of birdsong, echoed through the mist, causing Brightstar and Lionstar both to perk their ears.

"Well, I guess it's time to go argue amongst ourselves some more," Lionstar commented cheerfully to Brightstar.

They set off at a brisk pace, traversing the fog from the glow of their starry pelts. Brightstar was not looking forward to another council among her fellow StarClan cats. The meetings never got them any further on deciding how best to deal with Cloudstorm, or a way to counter the Dark Forest's plan to invade them. If anything these meetings only grow the single one emotion that every cat of StarClan shared.

_**Fear.**_

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to die again? Well, the same sentiment of fear was shared by every cat of StarClan. They were afraid. No matter how much Brightstar would have wished it wasn't so, it was true. In the course of a single moon, Cloudstorm had managed to rock the very foundation of their power, weakening the cats of StarClan far more than any of them thought possible.

Cloudstorm was relentless and out for revenge, something Icefrost had taken great lengths to exploit. Without fear or worry of the backlash, Cloudstorm went about the Dark Forest's plans killing three cats in the process, with two of them being medicine cats. It was an ingenious ploy if Brightstar had ever seen one. Distract the prey with a threat, while all the while the true predator is sneaking along the sidelines ready to go in for the kill. If they didn't decide upon something fast, Cloudstorm may actually get his wish.

Sunlight suddenly sparkled from above through the treetops, as light penetrated through the deep forest canopy. Brightstar and Lionstar increased their paced until there was a sudden clearing in the trees, and they found themselves overlooking an endless lush green meadow stretching for countless foxlengths on.

Brightstar and Lionstar trudged on, whipping through the grass in racing blurs of red and gold. Finally, as they came to a dip in the land, they could hear a murmur of voices from down below. Slowly making their way down, Brightstar and Lionstar suddenly found themselves in a hollow, similar to that of the ThunderClan camp, surrounded by a cluster of cats.

The council meetings were always this crowded, with only cats of leader or deputy status in their past life allowed to attend. Some cats like Lionstar could never be bothered to attend something as wild as this, but considering what was on the line here, it appeared the golden brown tom had thought otherwise. As Brightstar maneuvered through the throng of conversating cats, she suddenly bumped into a tall brown tabby tom with sharp piercing grey eyes.

"Greetings, Hawkgaze," Lionstar cheerfully greeted the silver eyed tom.

"Ah, Lionstar," Hawkgaze said, dipping his head to the golden brown tom in respect, "A pleasure to see you, as always."

Brightstar hadn't bothered to greet Hawkgaze. There was a more personal matter on her mind than the usual greeting, and from the look in his eyes, Hawkgaze knew what was coming next.

"How is she?" Brightstar asked.

"How do you think?" Hawkgaze responded in an annoyed tone. "You've done everything within your power to ensure that she's out of the loop of everything that's going on, and she's fed up with it. She's just as involved in this as the rest of StarClan, Brightstar, if not more."

"Precisely," Brightstar agreed, with a flick of her tail. "And that's the exact same reason why I'm keeping her out of this."

"If I may intrude for a moment," Lionstar spoke up suddenly. "Brightstar I think Hawkgaze may have a point. "With all the heavy hits we've taken later, she may be the only one left who has a chance of calming the beast."

Brightstar opened her mouth to respond, but just then, a large pitch black tom rose on top of a boulder in the middle of the hollow, bringing everyone there to a hushed silence.

"There is no chance in putting it off any longer," the tom spoke in a booming voice that shook the air, as he trailed his dark green eyes over every single cat in attendance. "For those of you who have watched the Clans down below, you saw the chaos that the Dark Forest inspired. For those of you who have journeyed to the barrier, you saw it wavering. There is no longer denying it. The Dark Forest will be upon us in the coming days, and we must be ready. But that is not why this meeting has been called to. I ask you my fellow Clan cats, what is your final verdict upon the fate of the dark gray tom known as Cloudstorm in the upcoming battle?"

"Kill the exiled traitor!" a cat suddenly screeched from behind Brightstar, and the cry immediately brought on the cheers of approval from everyone else.

"Yes!" another growled. "He's the cause of all of this. Take him down, and the Dark Forest no longer has a main head to follow anymore." Yowls of approval sounded off at this as the cats of StarClan let their rage be known.

"Is this what you all agree upon, then?" the black tom spoke over all the yowling.

"No!" a voice suddenly cut through the cries of the others, snapping everyone's attention towards its owner. "No!" Hawkgaze growled angrily. "Cloudstorm is merely a pawn of Icefrost's used to draw our attention from the bigger issue. Icefrost has caused all of this to happen. Do you hear me? He wants us to focus on Cloudstorm, so that he can sneak in and tear us apart from the shadows. If there's any cat we need to be focused on, it's him."

"That maybe so, Hawkgaze," the black tom relented. "But then are you saying that Cloudstorm should be pardoned for his crimes, placing all the blame instead on Icefrost?"

"No!" a speckled she-cat suddenly shouted, coming to stand center stage amongst the cats. "That filthy murderous tom is responsible for the deaths of not one, but _two_ of my Clan's cats. He has spat in the face of StarClan, calling us fools, and he is responsible for the destruction of the Moonpool. A scared object of the Clans! He will die, and die by the claws of the very tom who sired him!" she sneered, glaring viciously at Hawkgaze.

Brightstar blinked in surprise at the sudden challenge from the former WindClan leader, Galestar, and turned to see Hawkgaze's horrified face.

"What say you then, Hawkgaze," the black tom asked, as the rest of the assorted cats zoned in on his pelt. "Come the day of the battle, will you do your duty as a member of StarClan, and slay Cloudstorm?"

Hawkgaze looked around at the group of awaiting faces, a stricken expression etched painfully across his face. Brightstar could almost see the inner turmoil raging inside of him on what to do. On one end he could relent to agreeing to kill Cloudstorm, but somehow deep inside, Brightstar didn't actually believe he had it in himself to slay his own kit. If he didn't do it, he would lose face and faith among his fellow cats, something that wasn't easily recovered, especially during a time like this. Brightstar couldn't be sure what Hawkgaze would decide, but when he spoke, his answer actually surprised her.

"If this is the will of StarClan, then I will oblige to the request. Cloudstorm will meet his end by my claws, and my claws alone."

"Then it has been settled!" the black tom's voice boomed across the hollow. "Place guards at the barrier, and ready yourself for war my friends. StarClan will prevail!"

The other cats let loose with their yowls of agreement, but Brightstar couldn't bring herself to join in. With a blink of surprise, she realized that Lionstar was no longer by her. Looking around, she saw him in deep conversation with Hawkgaze, who had his head bowed low, as if ashamed to face anyone.

Sensing that there may be something she could do to help, Brightstar journeyed over to join the two toms.

"Hawkgaze," she began. "Are you sure this is what you want? If it's too much of a task for you to handle, I'll take over for you. No one else has to know, but us. I give you my word. Besides it's me that he wants to kill anyway, not you. So-"

"_NO!"_ Hawkgaze cut her off with a defiant snap. "No, Brightstar, I alone will carry this burden. I just gave the members of StarClan my word. I had a paw in bringing Cloudstorm into this world, and it will be that same claw that ends his ambitions of conquest here."

(Scene Shift)

_What am I doing here?_

That single thought rang a ripple of echoes throughout my mind, as I stood in the gaze of the morning sun, overlooking the daily routines of the ThunderClan camp. The morning air was sharp and crisp, refreshingly cool as it filled my lungs with a soothing whisper. Sunlight glinted off the beads of dew sitting in the grass, casting a glittering effect of colors to sparkle across the ground.

Down below from my perch, hidden on top of the hollow, the Clan was bustling with activity. A hunting patrol just returned from a trip in the forest, stocking the freshkill pile high with a bundle of prey. The queens all lay out amongst each other sunbathing, all the while animatedly chatting, as the elders entertained the eager kits with tales from the past. Across the hollow near the medicine cat den, I saw Redwillow tending to a group of apprentices' scratches, who'd all had the misfortune of getting snagged in a thorn bush while out playing in the forest.

From my hidden perspective on top the hollow, I noticed a dramatic change in the behavior of the cats of the Clan. There was a buzz of unrepressed excitement and happiness radiating from everyone, something that had been absent during Leaf-bare. The Clan had suffered through a tough ordeal this past winter, but with Leaf-bare finally now receding into a distant memory, it appeared ThunderClan was looking forward to the dawn of a new horizon.

So then, why was I here?

The last time I'd made my leave from the Clan territory, it was planned to be my last. Yes, it had been _planned _to be my last pawstep on ThunderClan, but from some strange occurrence of events that I couldn't even begin to fathom or understand, I found myself being drawn back here guided purely by instinct.

Whatever was the reason for me being here, I hoped it hurried up and happened soon. With just the night of the gathering two days away separating me from my intended showdown with StarClan, I had a prior engagement awaiting me with someone special, and under no circumstances was I going to miss that for the world.

"This is troubling news, Rowanclaw," a voice suddenly sounded from my right. "For the sake of everyone among the forest, I truly hope that you are wrong."

I swiveled my attention across the camp towards the highledge, where settled on top, I saw the forms of Rowanclaw and Brackenstar exit the leader's den. They were talking in hushed tones, but from my point positioned on the hollow straining my ears, I was able to decipher the low echoes from their voices wafting across the camp.

"That's the word that we've gathered from a recent rumor surfacing from the WindClan camp," I heard Rowanclaw mutter to Brackenstar. "I'm not much one myself from believing in gossip of some random Clan apprentices, but there is cause to be worried here."

"This has all the signs of dark times in store for the Clans if what you tell me is true, Rowanclaw," Brackenstar responded with a rasp.

I strained my ears harder to catch what Rowanclaw responded to Brackenstar with, but the sudden laughter from some kits below disrupted my ability to overhear it. When Rowanclaw had finished speaking, it appeared that he was waiting for Brackenstar to make a decision on something, but the aging old tom simply shook his head, and turned his attention down to the cats below.

"We'll wait until the night of the gathering to see if there is any truth to these rumors before acting," Brackenstar told Rowanclaw, focusing his attention on the small group of kits now wrestling together. "Besides," he added, as a flicker of happiness sparked across his face. "We have a more joyous occasion to attend to today."

I had no idea what joyous occasion Brackenstar was speaking of, but later on that day, as the sun made its way in the sky to hover directly over the Clan, I got my answer.

"Will all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highrock for a Clan meeting," Brackenstar's voice rang out, strong and true across the camp. The Clan suddenly came alive like a wildfire just let loose through the camp, as they all came to attention, gathering below Brackenstar. "I've called you all together for one of the most important traditions in the Clans. Five kits have reached their sixth moon, and I now call them all forward to be apprenticed."

A tingle of surprise rippled across my pelt, as my eyes immediately focused on the fiery ginger pelt of one small kit among four others, walking proudly to stand before Brackenstar. I watched, almost in a stupefied trance, as kit after kit was apprenticed before my eyes, until only the ginger she-cat was left.

"Cherrykit," Brackenstar meowed, "from this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you will be named Cherrypaw. May StarClan guide your paws on the right trail to becoming a warrior."

"Cherrypaw, Cherrypaw, Cherrypaw!" the Clan cheered, causing a breath of warmth to spread across my chest. For a moment I was unable to place this strange yet familiar feeling, until with a yowl of joy I realized it was happiness, pure, unrestricted, or forced happiness for Cherrypaw, as I suddenly found myself joining in with the excited cheers from the rest of the Clan.

In that instant, just for a moment at least, I felt like I belonged there. Sitting up here on top of the hollow, I no longer felt like the estranged stranger that I knew within my heart I was. The surge of joy that pulsed through my body felt foreign at best, but also very, very real.

How long had it been? I wondered, as I watched as Gorsetail was chosen to be Cheryypaw's mentor. How long had it been since the last time I'd actually felt true happiness like this. The answer came with a resounding echo of my deceased mate's name, and that was what finally killed the warmth.

My body reverted back to its usual hollowness, and with a resolute look forward, I watched as the Clan began to disperse with the end of the ceremony. My eyes focused on Cherrypaw, as she happily touched noses with her siblings and mother. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Rowanclaw make his way through the crowd and quickly join his family, lovingly touching noses with each of his kits in turn. The scene left me in utter disgust, and without a look backwards, I made for my leave.

The sight of seeing Rowanclaw so happy and content with his title of deputy and loving family to greet left me in a state of complete dejection at realizing that I was watching a backwards reflection of what could have possibly been my life. It left a burning fire of hate in my heart at knowing that all that was only a farfetched dream now because of what _they_ did.

Only now, as I began my long trek for my intended destination, did I realize that StarClan had successfully eradiated any chances of me having had a future. That, in many ways is a very demoralizing realization. But for me it only helped fuel the flames of hate and rage that I would finally once and for all be able to unleash upon those accursed starry furred fools.

The walk from the ThunderClan camp was agonizingly slow for me. During the battle with Buzzardflight near the Moonpool, she'd managed to fracture my right paw with a vicious bite that's left me limping. This made traveling a great hassle for me, but Goldenshine had promised I'd be able to walk fine in a few days; and just in time for what was to come, too.

I traveled through the deep bracken of the forest at a more leisurely pace than of what I was accustomed to. A soft breeze had begun to blow, causing the leaves in the trees to flutter. The branches above me crackled with life, from the various squirrel scurrying from branch to branch, or occasion serenade of birdsong. The earth below my paws felt soft and cool, thankfully easing a bit of the stiffness from my aching paw. The peaceful nature of the forest was enough to lull me into a sense of comfort, letting my guard down and embrace the familiar smells and sights of my former home.

My mind filled with the happy memories from back then when I was just a newly named warrior, proudly hunting for his Clan. I remember how I couldn't help joyously yowling to the heavens above every few moments, and the pure joy that I felt at finally being a warrior.

'_Cloudstorm.'_ I remembered reciting giddily to myself, time after time again. Just the very sound of my name was enough to send a proud flare of pride washing across me. There couldn't be a single greater thing in this life than being a warrior, I cluelessly believed at the time. Nothing came close, I had sworn. But that was of course, before I had met her. My dear, Amber-

Suddenly, the sound of a twig cracking behind me tore me away from my memory, before I whipped around with claws unsheathed to face the threat. What I was greeted by, however, was the farthest thing from a threat at all. As a matter of fact I was more irritated than threatened, as standing before me trying not to look any more obvious than a bird with two heads, was Cherrypaw.

My irritation with finding her here tailing me was only overshadowed by the surprise at finding her here. "Cherrypaw, what are you doing out here away from the Cl-" I had begun to say, before being tackled in the chest by a bright bundle of fur.

"Cloudy, it's you!" I heard her happily shout, through a mouthful of my fur. "I wasn't sure if it was you had I really seen on top of the hollow, but it was! You came! You really came to my ceremony!"

I was at a loss for words, but more importantly, also of breathe, too. The waves of utter joy and happiness radiating from Cherrypaw were overwhelming me. I was completely clueless on how best to react to the situation.

"You really came," she whispered, stepping back to stare into my face, as her eyes glowed brightly.

"Uh, yeah, w-well, I did promise, remember?" I stammered, unable to meet her excited gaze.

What was wrong with me? I've stood face to face with Brightstar, swearing to destroy her and all of StarClan without batting an eye. I'd mentally battled for the right of my own sanity against the scourge of the Dark Forest, Rosethorn, and had returned to the waking world victorious. But then, could someone please explain why, after all that, I couldn't gain the courage to look an apprentice in the eye?

Gratefully enough for me, it appeared Cherrypaw was oblivious to my discomfort, as she chatted in rapid session how great it was to see me, and a flurry of other things that I failed to understand. Finally after she'd managed to tire herself out, I was able to respond.

"It's great to see you again, too, Cherrypaw," I replied, giving the ginger my first genuine smile in moons. If nothing else, I was truly proud to see her become an apprentice, and I wanted to portray that sentiment to her best as I could with that smile. "Wow, someone's gotten bigger since I last saw her," I noted, much to the pleasure of Cherrykit.

"Do you really think so?" she asked excitedly, puffing herself up to her fullest height.

"Immensely," I complimented before adding teasingly, "Last time you were the size of a mouse, but now I'd say you've finally managed squirrel."

"Hey!" Cherrypaw growled at me, crouching down into a pouncing stance, her hindquarters wiggling in the air.

"What, is the squirrel getting angry?" I teased good-naturedly, while mimicking her crouch. "

"I'll show you who the squirrel is," she challenged, and launched herself at me.

Even though, with an injured I wasn't anywhere near my natural speed, I was still able to easily to dodge Cherrypaw's sloppy attack, before quickly nipping her on the hindquarters.

"You'll have to be quicker than that if you want to catch me, little squirrel," I taunted.

Cherrypaw narrowed her eyes determinedly, and launched herself at me again. Once again I was able to foresee her latest attempt, and easily dodged. "You're not getting any closer, little squirrel," I danced around her, wincing slightly from the pressure on my injured foreleg. "Maybe you would have a better chance if you closed your eyes."

Cherrypaw growled, as I mockingly stood standing superior in front of her. She crouched lower than the first two times, digging her claws deep into the ground. I stood still, flicking my tail tauntingly for her to bring it on, and she sprung. Her game plan was terribly similar to the first two attempts, but when I tried to jump out of the way, my injured foreleg buckled from the sudden pressure on it, and I stumbled right into Cherrypaw's launch, falling back to the forest floor with her weight on me.

"Hah, who's the little squirrel now?" Cherrypaw challenged proudly.

"Nice job," I wheezed, as she climbed off of me. For only being a newly name apprentice, Cherrypaw sure packed a lot of power hidden under that small frame of hers.

With a bit of difficulty, I was able to climb back to my paws, but not able to hide the wince of pain at putting weight on my foreleg, immediately alerting Cherrypaw.

"Oh, no, I didn't hurt you, did I, Cloudy?" she asked in a worried voice.

"No, no, this happen a while ago," I promised her. "It's a little sore, that's all."

As Cherrypaw let out a relieved sigh, I couldn't help but realize this was the first time in moons where I'd actually not been serious and just having fun. Fun? Wow, it'd been a long time since I'd just let loose and played around. It wasn't that hard to believe, considering all that I'd been through these past moons. I hadn't done much more than obsessing over StarClan during these last six moons, but for whatever reason being around Cherrypaw had suddenly, if only for a moment at least, allowed me to actually let my hardened exterior of war to subside for the time being.

I'd enjoyed just being in Cherrypaw's presence this entire time that I failed to notice how much time had gone by. With a shock from glancing above, I saw an orange sky, marking the signs of sunset. What had I been this entire time? I was going to be late!

"I have to go," I told Cherrypaw, before abruptly turning to leave, running as fast as my leg would allow.

"Wait, what?" Cherrypaw said in surprise. "You're leaving already?"

"Yes, I've got somewhere very important to be right now," I told her, mentally cursing myself for having lost track of time.

I didn't hear a response from Cherrypaw, so I assumed she had gone on back to the Clan. Moments later this proved to be wrong, as the ginger apprentice pulled along beside me, matching my pace.

"I'll come with you," she said casually, as if I'd just invited her along.

"What, no. Go back to the Clan before someone starts to realize you're missing," I told her. I didn't need a companion for where I was headed next, and personally didn't want one, even if it was Cherrypaw.

"Where are we headed?" she asked, ignoring my command, much to my displeasure.

I growled outwardly, wondering why briefly I was the one who had to deal with this stubborn cat. "If you must know, I'm going to meet an old friend of mine."

"Are they a Clan cat?" Cherrypaw inquired curiously.

"Yes- she was," I responded evenly, ignoring Cherrypaw's curious stare. It wasn't something I wished to explain. There were already too many unanswered questions about me that Cherrypaw wondered about. The most obvious had to be how I knew so much about the Clans, when it was clear from my smell and name that I clearly had to be a rogue.

Cherrypaw tried unsuccessfully many more times to get out the location of our destination out of me, but I was tight lipped for the remainder of the trip. All the while, we never once left ThunderClan territory, but as we drew closer and closer to our destination, my mood began to darken; and Cherrypaw noticed it.

My pulse began to quicken, as my heart started to race wildly out of control. For once, an emotion I wasn't at all familiar with, was brewing in the pit of my stomach.

_**Nervousness.**_

I literally felt my will give into it, drenching me in a wave of jitters. I stumbled slightly, and Cherrypaw immediately dashed forward to help me steady myself.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, gazing into my haggard face.

"Yes," I answered in a huff, shocked to find myself suddenly out of breathe. "Yeah," I wheezed for air, "I'm fine."

I could tell from the skeptical and increasingly worried expression clouding her face that she hadn't believed a word that I'd just said. Either way, however; I had to keep going. I needed to make it there before sundown.

My limp became increasingly worser, as I forced my way forward to the point I was no longer walking on it, and simply hobbling my way onward.

"Cloudy, don't you think that you should maybe rest for a while," Cherrypaw meekly suggested, but a snarl filled growled from me, silenced any lingering questions about that.

My breaths were coming out in short, ragged bursts now, giving the illusion form anyone nearby listening, the sound of a snoring badger. I suddenly lost the energy to hold my own tail in the air, and simply let it trail limply behind us.

**My body knows where I'm headed,** I realized with a jolt. The feeling of dejection had crawled its way back up into my chest, making it ache with a soundless wail of agonizing sorrow and self-pity. We were close. Suddenly, the forest parted around us, and I and Cherrypaw found ourselves standing at the border that divided ThunderClan from RiverClan.

"I don't think your friend's here, Cloudy," Cherrypaw said, suddenly looking fearful at finding herself in unfamiliar settings.

"N-no," I wheezed painfully, dragging myself to a small turf of grass, that unlike the others wasn't lushfully green. "No, she's right here." And with that, I collapsed to the ground.

"Cloudy!" Cherrypaw yowled in terror, racing over to me. "Cloudy, what happen? Are you okay?" she cried hysterically. However, as much as Cherrypaw wailed for me to get up, her voice was receding to nothing more than an annoying whisper.

"_Help me! Help, it hurts!" screamed the dying she-cat as blood pooled from her body. "Help me please, I don't want to die! Cloudstorm, please do something!"_

_I watched in shocked, helpless to do anything but watch. She screamed hysterically in pain and I could only gaze into her fear stricken eyes as she cried. She was dying right in front of me and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. She was calling my name, pleading, crying out in desperation for me to do something to save her, but I could only watch in horror. My mind couldn't comprehend what was happening; it was too much to handle._

_Her blood began to stain the forest floor red, and I barely even registered that my paws were beginning to get soaked in it. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be. I swore to protect her. I told her the night I declared my loved that I would forever protect and keep her safe from harm. I swore it! But why now when she needed me most I was unable to do a thing but watch in a horrified trance._

_I could see the life began to drain from her eyes. She was losing the will to keep fighting, I could tell. The pain was too intense. I crouched by her side and licked her face in vain desperately trying to draw a response. I wanted her to say something. Anything! Anything to keep her with here with me. She suddenly gazed at me with an expression clouded by pain and whispered the words that would forever haunt my nightmares._

"_Cloudstorm….pl-plea-se….Cloudstorm, please kill me."_

Suddenly, the grief rushed over me in a stampede of pain and sorrow, and I found myself lost in the memories.

"_Well, it's nice to meet you, Cloudstorm," the beautiful medicine cat replied sweetly to the stupefied tom._

"_Thanks for your help, Cloudstorm. My mentor would have had my pelt if I hadn't been able to deliver all these tansy leaves on time."_

"_Stay still!" the medicine cat berated the squirming gray tom. "Yes, I know it hurts, but that's what you get for running face first into a thorn bush, mousebrain."_

"_It's not fair!" the she-cat wailed to the dark gray tom in anguish. "Why couldn't I save her, Cloudstorm? My sister, my only sister and I couldn't save her."_

"_I wish you'd be more careful," the she-cat told the dark gray tom, tending to his wounds. "You're a good friend of mines, and I'd hate to have something bad happen to you._

"_Deputy!" the she-cat squealed in surprise. "Oh, Cloudstorm' I'm so happy for you," she happily cried, before without realizing it, leaned forward to lick the dark gray tom's muzzle. _

"_We can't keep doing this," the she-cat whispered miserably. "It's against the warrior code. Worse, what if someone were to find out?" she whimpered, staring fearfully into the gray tom's eyes._

"_You what? Oh, Cloudstorm, please this is hard enough, don't you go spewing lies to make me stay! Do I what? Why would you even ask me such a thing? No! I-….Yes…. I do love you Cloudstorm. I always have."_

"_Cloudstorm, I don't know how to say this, but I'm pregnant."_

"_Stop worrying yourself, you big gray furrball," the she-cat told her mate, with a loving lick. We'll figure out what to do with the kits when the time comes."_

_"Cloudstorm," the she-cat rasped out, in agonizing pain."Pl-plea-se….Cloudstorm, please kill me."_

One after another the memories flashed by, each one more painful than the last. I had to come back here. One final time, I had to relieve my reason for living, the reason for my pain, the reason for her death. If I was going to face StarClan, I first had to come to terms with the nightmares that haunted my dreams at night. I had failed to save her; I had failed to do a single thing to save her life. However, no matter what, I was going to make everything right, no matter what!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you. But in two nights with the rise of the full moon, I am going to avenge you. I'm taking the fight to them! I will avenge you, Amberh-

"Cloudy!"

My eyes snapped open, and I inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air of the night. I sat up, realizing at once from the pitch blackness around me that it was night.

"Cloudy, you're okay!" a voice cried, before a ginger bundle slammed into my chest. "Oh, Cloudy, I didn't know what to do. You just collapsed, and I was out here all alone without any way to help you. I'm so sorry!" she cried into my chest, causing me to look down at her.

"Don't worry," I told her in a soft tone, before giving her a quick lick. "I'm fine now. Come on, let's get you back home."

The walk back was silent. I wasn't sure, but I think my fainting episode had made the once chattery Cherrypaw weary of me. In retrospect, I couldn't really blame her. I would guess any cat her age would be a little on edge after having someone expectantly faint on them.

Finally we came within sight of the camp, and we stopped to face each other. Last time me and Cherrypaw had stood here, she was only just a kit. And now she stood, as a freshly name apprenticed of ThunderClan with the world before her paws. This time, I think we both knew that this would be our last time meeting. I was already so proud of the cat she'd turned out to be so far, but from here our paths went in two completely different directions.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, something of value to take with her as she lived her life, but I found myself at a loss for words. Taking hint of what I may have possibly wanted to say, Cherrypaw dashed forward and buried her face deep into my chest.

"Goodbye, Cloudy," she murmured softly. "I'll miss you."

I bent down and licked her head, inhaling the smell of her scent. I would miss her too. She'd never know it, but thanks to her this had been the happiest time of my life in a long time. I opened my mouth one final time determined to say something, with a grass of leaves alerted us to the presence of another. We jumped away from each other, and watched as the body of Rowanclaw materialized from the darkness of the shadows.

As soon as he saw me, I noticed a spark of recognition flashed across his eyes, formalizing that he remembered me from all those moons ago. We stood staring at each other, neither one making the slightest twitch of bat of an eye to let the other on to what were thinking. Cherrypaw glanced from her father to me in utter bewilderment, completely oblivious to the dangerous tension currently hanging in the air.

I wasn't too keen on fighting Rowanclaw so near to the ThunderClan or in front of Cherrypaw; she didn't need to see that side of me. But if Rowanclaw attacked me, I would have no other choice but to oblige him. And with me in the current that I was in, it didn't bode well for me coming out unscathed. Suddenly, Rowanclaw took a pawstep forward, and I immediately tensed. However, what he did next not only surprised me, but Cherrypaw as well.

"Thank you," he said dipping his to me in respect, while I sat there baffled trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Well, well, well, the infamous Cloudy I presume, then," he said, a twinkle sparkling in his eyes at the pronouncing of my name. "You may not know this, but you saved a lot of lives that night you decided to help my daughter and bring catmint back to my sick Clan. You have no idea how fearful I was of possibly losing the lives of not only losing my mate, but my daughter as well."

I stood there, slowly beginning to understand what Rowanclaw was doing before returning the favor and dipping my head in favor to him. "You're welcome. I only did what I thought was right, and it appears that paid off."

"Come on," Rowanclaw said to Cherrypaw. "Your mother's been worried about you, and I'm not going to be the one to explain that you snuck out to say hello to an old friend."

Cherrypaw sighed in resolution, walking to join her father at his side, but not before waving goodbye to me with her tail. I returned the gesture, nodding her to go on before turning to go my own way.

"My StarClan light your path, wherever it may take you, Cloudy," I heard Rowanclaw's parting words not far off.

I had to resist a small shake of my head at the fact that he didn't know how foreboding his words were. I knew exactly where my path would take me, and inexplicably enough, StarClan had been the one to lead me all the way there up to their very end.


	9. Chapter 8: The War Begins

_**Chapter 8: The War Begins**_

_**The end is here**_

"Our time has come."

Not a whisker twitched as the mesmerizing crackle of the tom's voice reverberated across the darkened clearing to the assembled crowd present. No one dared to. The haunting squawks from the crows inhabiting the nearby trees surrounding the clearing fell upon deaf ears as the horde of cats present sat upright and stoic, focusing their sole and utmost attention on the grey and black striped tom standing before them.

"For what has felt like an eternity of moons, you have suffered my brethren._ We have all suffered._ The pain, the scathing swipe of injustice that we have unfairly been forced to endure as we sat displaced and ruefully discouraged with the knowledge that we may never escape this accursed, nightmarish forest StarClan imprisoned us in. This knowledge, this curse, it ate through the very marrow of our bones as we sat here, reveling in our misery while all this time the gloating faces of StarClan sat happy and content in the sanctity of their own little paradise!"

The dark tom paused, silently surveying the swarm of felines through a steely pair of cold blue eyes, his gaze lingering on each individual cat present equally before commencing on with his speech. "Well, my brethren, I say no more. We have served out our term of exile in this dark forest. We have paid the price for StarClan's unjust and unfair judgment. It is now their turn to experience the agony we've suffered for the past eternity. The dawn of a new order is commencing, and it starts with all of you," the dark tom rasped, his tail flickering commandingly behind him for emphasis.

"The reign of the stars ends tonight, and you are the blessed arrival of change and enlightenment that will bring it. Tonight the barrier that divides StarClan and the Dark Forest will shatter, and with it will come the reign of a new leadership the Clans below have been suffering from since the first days of our existence. Tonight my friends, we shall rise from the bowels of this abyss and take our revenge!"

The other cats answered his battle cry with a resounding roar of their own, a startling mixture of yowls, screeches, and shrieks that filled the air. Icefrost stood proud and tall, soaking in the waves of excitement and bloodlust wafting off of the crowd. They were ready. The exact moment when the barrier fell, they would be savage and merciless with their extermination of those starry pelted fools; and with them still ignorant and blind to the exact moment when they would strike them down, StarClan didn't stand a chance.

"As malicious and conniving as always, Icefrost," a voice giggled from his side. "With as much skill as you possess at being able to manipulate a crowd, I'm still baffled as to how you failed with your original conquest of the forest."

Such a jeering and mockful remark would have infuriated any other cat, but Icefrost having had to experience such taunting for countless moons didn't so much as cast a side glance at the grinning white she-cat by him.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Rosethorn. I feared that your previous injuries would have inhibited you from attending."

The rebuttal was meant to be as scathing of a reply to the she-cat's previous statement, but she too, due to countless moons of time with the dark striped tom merely laughed in reply. "You of all cats should know that with my level of expertise as a medicine cat, I'll be fully healed in two days of sustaining damage." And as if to prove her point, the white she-cat slowly slunk in front of Icefrost and began to provocatively stretch and display the entirety of her body to him.

Icefrost watched Rosethorn's tiered attempt at flirting with an air of indifference, her usual ploy failing to gain a reaction from the tom. Instead, he chose then to bring up another subject. "I hope you've already taken the initiative and filled young Goldenshine in on what needs to be done? His compassion as a medicine cat has altered his motivation in the past, and I don't need to remind you that he's a crucial key to this entire plan, more so than even Cloudstorm."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about, little Goldenshine," Rosethorn crooned softly. "He reacted as I assumed he would when I told him the real reason behind why I choose him as my apprentice, but despite his misgivings, he'll always do what's asked of him."

"Is that so?" Icefrost growled slightly, his cold blue gaze meeting Rosethorn's mad green one. "For your sake, Rosethorn, I hope you're right."

"Ooh, a threat," Rosethorn giggled madly, softly rubbing her side against Icefrost's hip. "Why, Icefrost, we both know you'd be as hopelessly lost like a kit missing its mother without me."

Icefrost snorted loudly, but otherwise gave no indication that what Rosethorn had said wasn't true. Instead of answering, the dark tom turned away from Rosethorn, slowly making his way for the dark woods of the forest.

"Have everyone waiting and ready to go near the boundary," Icefrost called over his shoulder. "I want them crossing over the very second the barrier fails. When you're done meet me at the pool."

"And what will you be doing?" Rosethorn called. "Not spying on your little warriors again, are you?"

"Something a bit more important than that," Icefrost said, as he was slowly enshrouded by the shadows of the forest. "I'm going to go watch the gathering."

* * *

><p>The air was heavy and oppressive, thick with the muggy, overwhelming scent of earth and moisture that signified the upcoming arrival of a rainstorm. Up above, I could make out the pale hue of the sky littered with numerous blackened shapes of clouds as they thankfully shielded out the prying gazes of the stars. The island would have been pitch black and unseeable if not for the floating, golden aura of the full moon that hang above the land like a watchful guardian of the night.<p>

I exhaled deeply, letting the soothing quiet of night help relax my agitated state as I sat waiting for the Clans to arrive for the gathering. I hadn't planned on coming here, truth be told, I had been pretty much done with the living world, using my time instead to lurk amongst the shadows of the Dark Forest until it was time for the battle to commence.

Just as the long forgotten cats of the Place of no Stars were strangely starting to appear and move about the forest, Icefrost ordered me down below to survey tonight's gathering. I had initially tried to argue that my place was there so the very moment that the barrier shattered I'd be the first cat charging through into the heart of StarClan territory.

Icefrost, however, seemed to have other plans in store for me and piqued my interest with, _"Change is coming to the forest quicker than you may have imagined, Cloudstorm. If you want a more personal and introspective look about the change I'm talking about, I suggest you attend the gathering tonight. I suspect you'll find the outcome very interesting."_

My ears suddenly picked up the sound of rustling from the bushes. I turned my attention to the noise, inhaling deeply and with a grim flash of remembrance detected the musky scent of fish. There was only one Clan that could be. As the bushes began to part, my sense of smell was rewarded for its deduction skills as the husky pelts of RiverClan entered the clearing led by a stocky, dappled golden tom I knew as the RiverClan leader Reedstar.

I didn't have long to wait for the other Clans to arrive. Soon after RiverClan, WindClan made their way into the clearing led by a slender gray and black striped she-cat known as Ravenstar. As I watched Ravenstar make her way to hop alongside Reedstar on the branches, I noticed that down below the cats of WindClan were taking extreme care to remain hostilely distance from the confused RiverClan cats. Up above on the branches, I saw Reedstar give Ravenstar a questioning glance as to the behavior of her Clan, but the WindClan leader chose to ignore him.

The two Clans waited in an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the soft whispers of respective Clanmates conversating amongst each other. I had a plausible idea as to what the sudden shift into hostility from the usually docile RiverClan cats was, but only when the gathering had officially gotten underway would I know for sure.

Finally, after several drawn out moments of suspended talk, a familiar scent caught my attention. The other Clans had also become aware of the incoming scent, as moments later a feral yowl tore through the air as the familiar battle scarred pelt of Brackenstar emerged from the bushes, followed closely behind in tow by Rowanclaw and the rest of ThunderClan.

My heart gave a sudden lurch at the sight of Cherrypaw among the bunch. I averted my gaze away from the ginger she-cat, choosing instead to focus my attention towards the leaders. I was only here to watch the gathering, nothing else. Swiveling my attention elsewhere, I watched with a dull feeling as Brackenstar hobbled his way to the foot of the tree and paused, as if unsure what to do next.

Rowanclaw dashed forward to the leader's side, whispering in his ear an offer, as I saw it, to give Brackenstar help. I shook my head, smiling inwardly. Brackenstar may be old, but the seasoned ThunderClanner was also incredibly stubborn. Shooing Rowanclaw away with a flick of his tail, the withered old warrior gave a low crouch and launched himself upward.

His forepaws just scratched at the lowest branch; Brackenstar dug his claws in deeper, and after an undignified scramble up to the top gave a haggard cough that didn't go by unnoticed by several cats in the clearing. It was evident from his increasingly deteriorating condition that Brackenstar didn't have much time left amongst the forest.

"Has any cat seen Nightstar and her Clan?" Reedstar called out, anxiously shifting on his perch after several drawn out moments. When nothing but shrugs and shaking heads answered his question, he swiveled his gaze towards Brackenstar. "Has your Clan noticed any signs of trouble coming from ShadowClan?"

Brackenstar shook his head in reply. "As far as my cats have reported, the ShadowClan scent markers have been renewed every other day, and we have caught no signs of foul play or illness that would allude to something."

"Do you think it could be related to the Clan deaths?" a she-cat from WindClan suddenly spoke out, snapping the attention of every cat in the gathering on her.

There was suddenly a big commotion of startled yowls and talking amongst the cats, others demanding to know what the WindClan she-cat was talking about before Brackenstar hushed them all with a commanding yowl that reverberated throughout the clearing.

"Ravenstar," he meowed, turning his attention to the black striped she-cat, "I believe there are some answers you owe the assembled Clans. What deaths did one of your warriors just refer to?"

"_Deaths!"_ the WindClan leader snarled incredulously, her fangs flashing dangerously as her eyes glittered with fury. "These were murders, Brackenstar. Two of my cats, one being WindClan's medicine cat apprentice were found murdered near the Moonpool."

A collective yowls of shock rippled through the crowd of cats as Reedstar shouted above the commotion to regain control. "Deaths near the Moonpool, you say?"

"That's right," Ravenstar hissed. "It was discovered that a warrior, Buzzardflight and Berrypaw had gone missing from the Clan sometime during the night of a snowstorm. My warriors searched from sunrise to sunset for them before finally one patrol came in dragging Buzzardflight's lifeless body which had been found outside the Moonpool, frozen stiff in the snow."

"But that doesn't mean she was murdered," Reedstar argued. "You just said it yourself that your warriors found her frozen in the snow. Every cat here knows how foolish it is to go out during a snowstorm. Surely Buzzardflight froze to death because of her own foolishness."

"And since does getting caught in a snowstorm leave your throat pierced by fangs!" Ravenstar demanded, silencing Reedstar into a stupefied trance. "Juniperleaf checked her injuries. Buzzardflight had died by the claws of another cat."

"What about Berrypaw, Ravenstar," Brackenstar asked softly. "You didn't say where her body was found out."

Ravenstar shivered slightly on the branch almost fearful of the knowledge she was about to reveal. "My- my deputy thought it be better if I see for myself since the other cats from the patrol refused to speak of it. I traveled to the Moonpool myself and found-I,I found-" her voice shook painfully before Ravenstar muscled the strength to utter, "I found Berrypaw dead at the foot of the Moonpool, her throat slashed and the blood from her body having pooled into the water."

A sound like the air being sucked out of the world cast across the gathering. The cats present sat lost as their leaders all stood statue like, frozen in their spots on the branches. It seemed impossible, I knew they were thinking. What creature-no, what _monster_ could commit such a heinous and atrocious act.

"The Moonpool has ceased to work," Ravenstar called out in a hollow voice, all trace of energy from before gone. "Juniperleaf told me two days later after the Clan held vigil for Buzzardflight and Berrypaw. Such a despicable act committed in a place and to a cat like Berrypaw as pure tainted the waters of the pool. We have lost our direct line of communication with StarClan."

The words rang strongly throughout the gathering, but I doubted most if any of the cats present heard it. They were panicking; they were growing fearful. Never in the history of the Clans had something like this ever occurred.

Right now the Clans were at their most vulnerable, and when cats felt they had no defense to protect themselves, they became reckless and rash. I had experienced the feeling enough times before to know when it was happening.

"Do you have any idea who it could have been?" Brackenstar's voice rang out, snapping some the cats out of their trance. "Any at all?"

Ravenstar closed her eyes tightly, the shaking from before even more prevalent now. "The afflicted wounds point towards it being a cat for sure, one that was not only use to but hardened for the harsh winds that occur during Leafbare. For those facts alone, it has to be a Clan cat."

"What!" Reedstar snapped, echoing the sentiment of many outraged cats from the RiverClan and ThunderClan sides. "You can't be serious, Ravenstar."

The gray she-cat wheeled on the dappled tom in a fury. "Yes, a Clan cat! Buzzardflight was a seasoned warrior of WindClan with numerous won skirmishes and battles to back up her reputation. There's no chance a rogue could have killed her. No, this was the work of a Clan cat and I'm holding both your Clans responsible."

The warriors on the RiverClan and ThunderClan yowled in outrage at the accusations, as the cats from the WindClan side hissed angrily at the opposing sides. The gathering had absolved into a shouting of blame in a matter of moments.

"Stay calm of mind ThunderClan," Brackenstar was ordering his cats, as down below several warriors from ThunderClan were starting to pick fights with warriors on the WindClan side.

"You're insane, Ravenstar" Reedstar sneered, humping his back in anger. "What proof do you have to accuse any cat of my Clan? We are not traitors to the warrior code!"

"This wouldn't be the first time cats from both your Clans have broken the warrior code," Ravenstar snarled back. "No one other than cats of such traitorous Clans could commit such evil."

"That was a long time ago, Ravenstar; You know that!" Brackenstar wheezed, suddenly angry.

Despite the small barb thrown my way, I had to admit that Ravenstar brought up a very good point, although she couldn't have been farther from the truth. I watched the deformation of the gathering from my safe perch several fox-lengths away in the tall reeds. Things were deftly escalating up a notch, but I couldn't see how any of this had to do with the change Icefrost had spoken of.

"What's wrong, Brackenstar? Does it hurt your pride to here talk of your former code breaking deputy?" Ravenstar jeered, causing yowls of anger to rise from the ThunderClan side. "You ThunderClanners have always strutted around here like StarClan itself blessed your Clan. There's absolutely no way that ThunderClan could do something to violate the warrior code. After all, they're StarClan's favorite, aren't they?"

Brackenstar gaped at Ravenstar in shock. "You can't really believe that, can you? Every Clan here knows ThunderClan is on equal footing with the rest of the Clans here."

"Really?" Reedstar suddenly spoke up, all trace of fury at Ravenstar forgotten as he turned to Brackenstar with a hardened gaze. "If I recall correctly from those seven or so moons ago, RiverClan lost its medicine cat to death while ThunderClan merely exiled its deputy."

Brackenstar slipped slightly on his perch on the branch at the accusations now flying from RiverClan. Things at the gathering had just taken another wild shift.

"You think ThunderClan has favoritism with StarClan too, Reedstar?" Brackenstar asked in disbelief. "You both can't possibly be turning against us? My Clan suffered from that incident just as yours did."

"How so?" Reedstar asked coldly, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "My Clan lost its medicine cat from a forbidden love affair that your deputy initiated. I lost my daughter due to complications with a birth that was never meant to happen! If there's one Clan that StarClan seems to favor it _would_ be ThunderClan. Maybe, Brackenstar, it's you and StarClan that have turned against us."

Brackenstar slipped and tumbled from the branch as Reedstar gave a rough shove into the withered tom's side. Cries of shock rose from the ThunderClan cats and they immediately turned on their RiverClan counterparts in an instant.

"No! Stop!" Brackenstar called from the ground, coughing as the Rowanclaw ran to his side. "Stop this madness at once," he ordered to the fighting cats. You're violating the treaty of truce of the full moon. What do you think StarClan would think of all this?"

A few cats look above to the full moon, but surprisingly it stood proud and uncovered. Even I was surprised at the outcome. StarClan hadn't covered the moon in protest of the Clans fighting. Was it possible that then they agreed with what was going on here?

**NO.**

They just simply didn't care. There, finally the sign of truth that I had been speaking of. StarClan was finally letting their arrogance show. They didn't care what happen to one of the Clans of the forest, just so long as there were still two others left to praise and obey them. Up above it had slowly started to rain, drops hitting the ground with a resounding echo.

"Brackenstar let's get out of here," Rowanclaw pleaded with the old tom. "This isn't a battle ThunderClan can win. You see for yourself that StarClan no longer wants anything to do with us."

Brackenstar shook his graying muzzle in defiance. "No, Rowanclaw, I will not. We will resolve this issue here under the full moons light before dawn comes. This is all a giant misunderstanding. If I can just explain it to the Clans here they'll surely understand."

The intensity of the rain started to pick up now as Reedstar and Ravenstar hopped down from the branches down to the ground. A steady gust of wind was starting to pick up, and just overheard in the sky the low rumble of thunder could be made out.

"I should have known from the start that only a ThunderClan cat could stoop so low as to kill an apprentice and desecrate the Moonpool," Ravenstar growled. "Your Clans nothing but a assorted bunch of fox hearted cowards and mouse bile, Brackenstar."

"No, please," Brackenstar pleaded, hobbling towards the two leaders as Rowanclaw followed closely behind. "You've got this all wrong."

"It's no use, Brackenstar," Rowanclaw tried to reason with him. "Let's just go now."

"No!' Brackenstar snapped, turning on the tom in rage. "I'd rather die than leave this gathering having it believed my Clans are murderers."

Rowanclaw's eyes narrowed slightly, viewing the old sight of Brackenstar with a new emotion I couldn't place. "So be it then."

Thunder roared and lightning flashed, blinding the entire island out in a glow of light, but despite all of that there was no blocking out the shocked wail that tore through the air.

When the light cleared, the gathering was silent, all signs of fighting gone. Every single cat present stood staring in disbelief at the scene before them. Reedstar and Ravenstar stood there, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

For a brief moment a sense of dread began to claw at my heart. I blinked once and then it was gone. I was back to normal.

Standing before everyone over the now lifeless corpse of Brackenstar was Rowanclaw, his claws stained red in his former leader's blood. The cream-colored tom stood ominous and commanding, his face a steeled mask as stared down at his fallen leader in indifference.

"Your time has passed, Brackenstar," he spoke coldly, then turning his glare upon Reedstar and Ravenstar, he said, "For countless I have sat back and watched you three bumble and stumble your way leading these Clans. You've grown too complacent with your roles here in the forest. You've grown primitive and useless."

"How dare you!" Reedstar snarled, unsheathing his claws in rage. "You kill your leader and then insult us? You'll die for this show of betrayal, Rowanclaw."

"My betrayal?" Rowanclaw snorted in contempt, shaking his head. "Your threat may have been more convincing if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not alone in my belief that you've ran the Clans into the ground, Reedstar. A change is coming to the forest, Reedstar, and it's all going to be thanks to the three new leaders of ThunderClan, WindClan, and RiverClan."

Reedstar stared at Rowanclaw in confusement, unable to understand what he was being told. Ravenstar caught on, but just a few moments to late.

In another flash of lightning six separate warriors from WindClan and RiverClan slammed into Reedstar and Ravenstar, and then the gathering broke out into an all-out frenzy of snarling and fighting as rain now poured relentlessly down on the land.

I slinked away from the pounding pulse of the rain while all the while staring at the complete destruction of the Clans before my eyes. A rebellion. When? How long had this been in the works? A complete and utter takeover of the three Clans had begun and cats from all side were battling each unable to decipher the traitors from their own Clan with the innocent ones.

Rowanclaw, he killed Brackenstar. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't saw it with my own eyes. I stumbled trying to weave through the reeds away from the scene of the battling cats. I had to get out of here, find shelter. I wanted answers. Icefrost, that manipulating tom, he had planned this all out somehow. He had at least known about it previous to the gatherings start. Why else would he have told me to attend?

I didn't like being fooled, and Icefrost was in for a reckoning the moment I got to the Dark Forest.

* * *

><p>Empty.<p>

I couldn't believe it. The Place of no Stars, the Dark Forest, it was lifeless. No, it was always lifeless. This type of lifelessness was something else, the forest felt devoid of a certain aspect that it had originally had before I'd journeyed down below.

I skirted through the darkened woods of the forest for the one place where I knew Icefrost would be. What was the meaning of this? Rowanclaw had been planning with other cats for a massive takeover of Clan leaderships, and Icefrost hadn't thought it important enough to mention it before instead sending down below as a spectator for his amusement.

I tore through the undergrowth, running until I started to come to a dense part of the forest where the undergrowth was overgrowing. I was close. I finally trail from memory where I had last came to see Icefrost, and the dark tom waiting me, stoic and upright with his tail curled in front of him.

"I suspect you already know why I'm here, Icefrost, so I'll cut to the chase. Why?"

"Why what, Cloudstorm?" he asked in an unconvincing tone. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

My rage suddenly boiled over. "Don't play dumb with me, Icefrost! You purposely sent me to the gathering so I could watch your great showing of change in the forest take place. Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why?" he said in a collective tone, "because it had nothing to do with you, Cloudstorm. What do you think I've been doing here while all the while you've been down below causing a raucous? What do you think any of the cats of the Dark Forest have been doing? We were recruiting cats for an army and training them for just such an event. What did you think? That those few cats that were there when you killed Leafbreeze were simply never going to be used again? No, Cloudstorm, we found cats, more cats for our cause, and while the majority had nothing against StarClan, they still wanted power, seeked to bring change to the forest in their own way. Rowanclaw was no different. We found them and trained them, taught them how best to use their skills and then left them to their own devices. The outcome was what you saw tonight."

"But their killing each other!" I growled at him. "You've turn them against each other, Icefrost. You manipulated every single last one of them and used them as pawns. You- you're no better than the cats of StarClan!"

I stood there huffing and puffing with my claws unsheathed ready for a fight. I knew that Icefrost was a master manipulator, but even I couldn't have seen this coming. He had just turned the cats of the forest against each other, and there was telling if there'd any left alive by dawn. This madness had to stop now.

"I find it almost repulsive that you would even dare compare me to those fools," Icefrost spoke, a sharp edge to the end of his words. "You were at the gathering yourself, Cloudstorm. Think! What happened there? When the Clans started fighting amongst each other did StarClan do as they normally would have and blocked the moon out with clouds to show their displeasure? _No!_ They kept their whiskers in the sanctity of their little forest and let them destroy each other. They have given up on saving the Clans, Cloudstorm; and the very moment when that truth became prevalent, the barrier shattered."

My heart skipped a beat. "Wait, did you say the barrier shattered? The battle has already begun?"

"Yes, and some time ago too," Icefrost said, turning away and stalking back to the black pool. "Come, Cloudstorm," he called from over his shoulder. "Observe."

I hurried to his side and peered over in the murky waters below unable to see a thing.

"Give it a moment," Icefrost ordered, and with a wave of his paw the pool illuminated to reflect back the image of the dark shapes of Dark Forest cats colliding with the starry pelts of StarClan warriors in the middle of a golden field.

I dug my claws into the ground, the anxiousness and truth of finally being able to get to StarClan a reality. "Let's go," I growled, already whipping around to bound for the boundary.

"Not just yet," Icefrost called, forcing me to stop. "There's someone else that we're waiting on."

I turned around. "Stay here if you want, Icefrost, but I'm going."

"I would advise against that, Cloudstorm," he spoke softly and commanding. "Trust me; it's more beneficial for the plan if the three of us go together."

My annoyance began to prick at this. "There you go again with this dramatic plan of yours, Icefrost. "What big surprise do you have left that I don't know about? What's your big secret?"

"You don't want to know, Cloudstorm," a voice suddenly called from the woods, turning my attention away from Icefrost. "Trust me; you don't want any part in what Icefrost has planned."

A golden pelt suddenly emerged from the undergrowth, and I was greeted by the unexpected sight of Goldenshine.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm here to save you away from him," he growled angrily, motioning towards the stoic Icefrost. "Cloudstorm you have no idea what he's planning to do to the forest, he's-"

"I already know about the gathering, Goldenshine. I was there."

"No!" the golden medicine cat snapped, actually surprising me. "No, Cloudstorm that's not it. There's something else, something worse that involves me. I can't stop them from forcing me into their servitude, but I can save you from making a grave mistake tonight. You must not go to StarClan. You can't help Icefrost defeat them."

I stared at him with contempt. "Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this chance, Goldenshine? My whole life has revolved around this one single moment; and now you're telling me to walk away after all I've done to get here!"

Goldenshine looked at me with pleading eyes, his entire body quivering with some hidden knowledge he was unable to expose. "You mustn't do it, Cloudstorm. You'll regret it after it's done. For any of us to have a future worth seeing, you must let StarClan survive. Icefrost's plan, it's-it's-"

"It doesn't matter what they're planning," I answered, turning my back to him. "From the very beginning of this alliance with the Dark Forest, I've only had one goal in mind. As long as I finally get what I've been craving for for so long now, I'm satisfied."

Goldenshine gaped at me in disbelief, his eyes widened in shock. "Is that really what you believe, Cloudstorm? Are you truly prepared to live with the consequences of what your actions will cause? What about the cats of the forest who you've claimed all this time you and the Dark Forest have been striving to save? What about them, Cloudstorm? What about your friends in ThunderClan, your family, Cherrypaw? What about them?"

My ears inadvertently flattened at the mention of Cherrypaw's name, but otherwise, I chose to ignore Goldenshine insolent yammering. As far as my conscience was concerned Cherrypaw died in the rebellion during the gathering. "I've come too far now to be persuaded otherwise, Goldenshine. For so long now I've been consumed by nothing more than having the satisfaction of my undying sense for vengeance finally being fulfilled. One way or another, this ends tonight."

Goldenshine opened his mouth to retaliate, but the sound of another cat's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Very good, Cloudstorm," it cackled loudly. "You always know just what to say."

No it couldn't be. I turned around in shock to meet the glittering mad gaze of Rosethorn emerge from the forest, carrying a small bundle of cobwebs in her jaws.

"How!" I growled angrily, staring at the unscathed she-cat in disbelief.

"Don't look so surprised, Cloudstorm," she giggled madly, dropping the bundle at her paws, "although you're desirable no matter how you look."

"What's the meaning of this?" I demanded, turning to Icefrost who had remained silent the entire time. "What's she doing here?"

"Rosethorn is the final piece to our little group, Cloudstorm," he said, walking to stand by her side. "She will be accompanying us into StarClan where her expertise as a seasoned medicine cat will be put to great use."

"You're even crazier than her if you think I'm going to agree to this. You might not know this, but your little medicine cat there attempted to brainwash me into loving her!"

Icefrost flicked his tail dismissively. "I'm well aware of the circumstances that occurred involving the three of you, and Rosethorn was severely reprimanded for it by you if I recall."

I snorted in disgust. "That doesn't appear to be the case to me, Icefrost. She looks completely fine."

"Nice of you to notice," Rosethorn purred mockingly.

"What's done is done," Icefrost spoke. "You wanted to destroy StarClan, Cloudstorm, here's your chance. You have my word that Rosethorn will keep her paws to herself, and once we get to StarClan you'll be left alone to enact your vengeance as you see fit."

I stared from Icefrost to Rosethorn completely unhappy with how things were turning out. That she-cat had nearly drove mad just as she was, and Icefrost was asking me to forget all that now? I gritted my teeth angrily, digging my claws deeply into the ground hating myself for what I was about to say. At least when I got to StarClan I could my time searching for Brightstar.

"Fine," I spat, fixing the Rosethorn with a scathing glare that summed up my complete feelings towards her. "I'll go along with your little game for now, Icefrost, but be warned. If she crosses my path at all during this battle, she's dead."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Beloved," Rosethorn cackled loudly, kneeling down to pick up her bundle of cobwebs.

Icefrost and Rosethorn turned away and both slowly began to walk their way into the murky waters of the black pool, leaving me alone on the bank with Goldenshine who watched me through sad eyes.

"You're making a mistake. You know that right?"

I sighed softly, surveying the golden tom before me unable to fully connect together how I felt about him. "If I am then it's my mistake to make."

He nodded slowly, his sad gaze never leaving my face as he slowly began to back away back into the woods. "If you come across a golden she-cat name Morningflower, tell her I'm sorry that I couldn't save her." And with that last message, Goldenshine disappeared.

My gaze lingered on the spot where I had saw him disappear before turning away. As I saw Icefrost and Rosethorn began to sink further and further into the dark waters of the black pool, I paused on the bank not understanding what they were doing. "Wait. Why aren't we going through the boundary like the others?"

Icefrost turned to me with a cold smile flickering in the depths of his icy blue eyes. "You have a lot to learn about diversions, Cloudstorm. Why take the obvious route of entry when you can sneak around through the back?"

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. The next chapter takes place inside of StarClan during the battle. Any comments, thoughts, or CC is appreciated and thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9: A Father's Farewell

**A/N: Hope it was worth the wait.**

_**Chapter 9: A Father's Farewell**_

_**The End**_

A booming clap of thunder exploded overhead as a heavy torrent of rain drops continuously poured down from the sky, soaking the ground and turning it murky brown as it dissolved into trenches of mud. The air roared ferociously with strong gales of wind that raged relentlessly across the land, twisting and ripping trees from their roots without a second thought, as lightning streaked across the darkened horizon brightening the sky and revealing the ravaged forest below.

Goldenshine peered through the branches that made up the roof of the medicine den, staring up into the blackened sky above as rain leaked through the branches drenching him. His golden fur clung to his lithe form, showing him to be several sizes smaller than he usually appeared but the medicine cat gave no sign that he planned to move, appearing to be in a trance.

"The battle rages on," a hoarse voice seemed to emulate somewhere from the golden tom, although Goldenshine didn't remember actually speaking. Heavy drops splattered his face with rain, but the tom neither flinched nor moved as he stared grim faced into the shadowed night, knowing somewhere above the battle for the survival of the forest continued.

Was this really his destiny? Everything that he'd been led up to believe all seemed so utterly twisted and hideous now that he finally knew the truth of what his true purpose was. He wasn't the healer of the wounded that he'd sworn an oath to be. He wasn't even the famed savior of ShadowClan every cat in his Clan had been fooled into believing. A pawn, a pawn of the darkness, that's what he was.

Goldenshine stared down at his paws, emotion churning in his stomach at the memories of the atrocities he helped commit. With these paws of his that had been used to help and heal so many cats in turn he'd dwelled in the darkness and hurt and betrayed twice as many. Leafbreeze, Nightstar, ShadowClan, and now with this final act of evil the entire forest.

Thunder boomed in the distant as Goldenshine gripped the dirt between his paws, clenching his fangs together as his body began to shake uncontrollably. 'What am I going to do?' he thought helplessly, the truth of his final act bearing down on him. 'I've went along with the murdering of my mentor, the tricking of my leader and Clan, but this? How can I?'

The uncertainty was weighing down on his mind and body, the indecision of choosing right from wrong raging a deadly battle within him. Could he really doom the lives of the Clans to such a dark future? With all the things Goldenshine had helped the Dark Forest accomplish, was he truly prepared to be the snake that sunk the poison into the forest and brought about the decay and destruction of the Clans?

He had nowhere to turn, no one to seek help from. StarClan feared him, his Clan was oblivious to his misdeeds, and Cloudstorm had shunned him. What now? What could he possibly do to stop this dark future from coming to pass?

The glint of something in the corner of the cleft where the herbs were kept caught his eye. Goldenshine slowly lifted his head all the while still staring at the glow of something red as he began to pad his way towards the cleft. Coming to a stop before the cleft and with a shaky paw, Goldenshine reached into the depths of the darkness. When he redrew back placed clearly in the middle of his paw pad was a pair of bright red berries.

Goldenshine's eyes widened in surprised. _These_, these were…no. Could he actually-but was he really willingly to take away the innocent lives of-! Suddenly a commotion from the entrance of the medicine den startled him out of his brooding, as a large, moss colored tom soaked to the bone in rain forced his way through the tiny entrance, snapping and knocking away several branches.

"Goldenshine!" he gasped for air, appearing to have run the entire length of the Clan to get here, "Barrierclaw says to come now. It's time; they're on their way here."

A sense of dread began to gnaw at the ends of Goldenshine's heart. There was only one course of action to take now, but no matter what there would be no chance in redeeming his soul after it.

* * *

><p>The moment my head broke the surface of the water, I was immediately swimming for the nearest source of land. Feeling the smooth touch of pebbles beneath my paws, I began to claw my way out of the large body of water before coming to stand on the grassy bank. Not even stopping to shake my pelt loose of water I started on forward, scouting my current surroundings. It wasn't until then, however, that the full brunt and severity of StarClan's territory hit me.<p>

The scenery before me was incredible. I found myself near the outskirts of a lush and verdant forest, seamlessly decorated in a vibrant display of large and sturdy, dark chestnut colored trees decorated in a stunning array of flourishing foliage. This breathtaking sight was only made more prominent with the soothing backdrop of the night sky, casting an eternal glow of life that seemed to resonate with the air itself.

My heart skipped a beat and I realized that I was speechless. But why, why was I suddenly and so unexpectedly taken aback by the beauty of StarClan? Had I been expecting something else, some sinister and battle scared land that reflected the image of the vile and deceitful cats that dwelled here I took them to be? Surprise? Uneasiness? Were these the emotions my heart was currently exuding?

"It is quite a sight to take in, isn't it?" Icefrost's cold voice sounded from behind me before moments later the dark tom joined my side. "Take a long look, Cloudstorm," he whispered softly. "The object of our hatred and future conquest stands here before us."

Something about the way Icefrost said those words sent a shiver down my spine. How could something seemingly so pure and beautiful house the very cats of my vengeance and rage? It almost seemed tragic in a way.

"Come," Icefrost ordered, padding forward into the forest. "We have a ways to go before we reach the heart of StarClan, and we need to use to our advantage every second StarClan wastes fighting against our comrades to make it there undeterred."

Something clicked in my head. "Wait," I said causing Icefrost to pause. "Are you telling me that the others are merely a distraction? We're not fighting at all?"

"Oh, poor, poor, Cloudstorm," Rosethorn suddenly laughed from behind me, bringing me to remember that she had made the journey with us, "How hopelessly narrow minded and clueless you are."

I growled at maniacal she-cat, but Icefrost's call halted me from causing the damage that she so rightfully deserved.

"We have something even more important than the trading of claws with rival cats that takes precedence over this mission, Cloudstorm."

I grunted in displeasure. "And that would be what? Even now you've failed to let on to just what is your big plan."

Icefrost's eyes seemed to take on an eerie glow before dimmer back to normal. "Simple. We're going to destroy StarClan from the inside out."

I blinked in surprise. "And how are we going to accomplish that?"

Icefrost opened his mouth to reply with sudden a collection of voices sounded from the forest.

"What was that?" someone called out.

"I heard voices coming from the direction of the lake," another called out.

"Take this patrol over that way and scout the surrounding area for Dark Forest cats," a louder, gruffer voice demanded. "Now!"

"Rosethorn!" Icefrost hissed, crouching low to the ground.

"Right," she responded, turning to me and to my confusement stuffing the bundle of cobwebs she'd brought with her into my mouth. "Now don't lose that, beloved," she crooned before dashing away into a section of the forest without another word.

"She'll do what she can to disperse most of them from our position, but for the time being we need to split up," Icefrost hissed my way. "Make your to the center of the forest and whatever you do don't lose what's in your mouth."

Unable to protest with my mouth stuffed full, Icefrost vanished into another part of the forest leaving me alone to fend for myself.

* * *

><p>I traveled unchallenged through the forest, stopping every once and a while to sense for enemies before continuing on. Sneaking around hadn't been what I was planning when I'd made plans with Icefrost to take down StarClan. I had my own personal agenda that I wanted to take care of first before anything else. There was a certain ginger she-cat that held my undivided attention at the moment and more now than ever I wanted her near where my claws could finally swipe that smug look off her face.<p>

The sound of fighting off in the distant caught my attention as I wondering briefly is that was the direction in which I'd find Brightstar. The idea appealed to me more and more than Icefrost's of traveling to the center of the forest with whatever this was stuffed in my jaws.

Before I could make a decision of what to do next a voice called out from above, "My, my, why if it isn't the Dark Forest's little pawn."

I unsheathed my claws and shot my head up in search of the cat who'd spoke. My eyes darted back and forth throughout the treetops, but still I was unable to locate the source of who had just spoken out.

"Can't find me?" the voice called out mockingly. "I have to say for such a cat that seems to have StarClan in such an uproar you're a bit of a disappointment. I suppose you aren't as dangerous as Brightstar made you out to be."

The mention of Brightstar set my pelt on fire. "Show yourself!" I demanded, spitting the bundle of cobwebs out of my mouth to the floor.

I was rewarded with a chorus of laughter. "Well, since the almighty Cloudstorm insists upon it then I suppose I must."

Suddenly a blur of fur emerged from the top of the tree closet to my left side and out dropped a golden brown tom, his pelt sparkling brightly with the signature of a StarClan cat. I crouched low into a battle stance, but the large tom before me merely shook his head in distaste.

"You can cut that out, kit. I have no intention of fighting you."

I slowly rose a bit from my crouched position, eyeing the tom evenly. "Wait a minute? Did you just call me a _kit_?"

"As long as I've been around that's what most of you tend to be when compared to me," he responded, flicking his tail dismissively. "But in your case, it's also when a perfectly grown cat acts like an unruly kit that's saw fit to throw a tantrum in hopes of getting what it wants."

I growled in response. "Kit, you say! What right do you have to scold me when StarClan's the one who wronged me first!"

The golden tom snorted. "There you go again with the whining, kit. There are countless cats here in StarClan itself who felt they were at least greatly wronged once or twice in their life, but you don't currently see them raging war here. And to think you were once the deputy of my former Clan. My, look how far ThunderClan has fallen."

I snarled in protest. This cat was starting to try my patience and if he wasn't planning on doing anything other than berate me, I was done here.

"What do you expect to accomplish anyway?" he continued on. "Let's say you succeed tonight, what then? It won't change anything will it? You'll still feel angry inside and she'll still be dead. Don't you realize that? Don't you-."

"Lionstar," a voice called out from the shadow of the trees. "That's enough. I'll handle it from here." I stared in the direction of where I'd heard the voice first originate from, but the darkness from the forest made it physically impossible to see.

The golden brown tom now identified as Lionstar shot one glance in the shadow and then turned to leave, deciding to depart with the closing words of, "I wanted to see if there were any redeemable traits left of you to speak of, kit, but it seems I'll have to leave it to someone better suited to handle your mood swings."

I had the slightest of what he was speaking of until the glare of a pair of silver eyes shined through the dark to lock gazes with me. There was only one tom in the history of the four Clans to have a piercing gaze resembling those set of eyes. The name was out of my mouth before the emergence of a tall brown tabby stepping into the light greeted my eyes.

"Hawkgaze."

We stared at each other, the vicious yowls and battle cries from other fighting cats far off in the distance echoing around us. Since the last time I'd seen him within the Dark Forest with Brightstar, I knew this moment was coming. We both did. Two opposing forces colliding in a head to head battle in an attempt to prove whose power was the more superior. Yes, we had come to the end.

"It isn't fair, you know?" Hawkgaze spoke, his piercing, silver eyes emotionless as he unsheathed his claws. "All the moons I've spent here waiting in StarClan and the only thing I've wanted was to see you face to face again. It's almost a cruel joke when you think about it. I finally get to see my son, but when we finally meet here in StarClan we have to kill each other to stop the others conquest."

"Yes," I agreed, unsheathing my own claws. "It truly is unfair, Hawkgaze."

We sprang at each other before colliding in a furious ball of yowling and clawing. Blood pounded in my ears as I traded blow for blow with Hawkgaze. Our claws sliced through each other like a paw through water, and blood flowed freely from our wounds.

We tore into each other, biting viciously with our fangs and attacking with reckless abandonment with intent to hurt. I sunk my teeth into his forepaw, hearing a loud crunch as I made contact with the bone. With a yowl of outrage Hawkgaze angrily batted my head to release him. We suddenly broke apart, taking a split second to catch a gulp of air before launching right back at each other.

Hawkgaze fought with a ferocity I hadn't known he was capable of. He bit, scratched, and clawed me as if he was simply fighting another enemy, and not his own son. But then again in a way I guess he was.

Thunder seemed to explode overhead everything time our blows made contact with flesh. Boom! as I landed a strike at his shoulder. Boom! as he landed one to the side of my flank leaving a thin line of blood. I winced as a swipe from Hawkgaze caught me right below the eye. The fresh wound stung as air hit it, and I yowled in defiance.

Spitting angrily, I returned with a clubbing blow to the head. I could feel my claws make contact with the structure of Hawkgaze's skull, a scraping noise sounding as I ripped them free. Blood pooled down the side of Hawkgaze's face, drenching him in blood and blurring the vision of his right eye.

He hissed from the pain of the blood stinging his eye, and gave a swipe at me which I neatly ducked before barreling into him. I tried valiantly to pin him, trying quickly to finish the fight, but Hawkgaze refusing to submit delivered several nasty cuts across my body. I growled in protest before slamming my paw against his chest, knocking the air straight out of his lungs.

Hawkgaze wheezed painfully from the blow while still attempting to throw me off. Not being deterred in the slightest I landed another blow against his chest followed up with one to the face. I thought I would've been over right there but still, still he fought on. I could see from my position over him that Hawkgaze was fighting with every ounce of his soul to continue going on.

"Stay down!" I ordered, slamming another heavy blow down against his chest. "Stay down!" I spat angrily as he began to struggle now even more before finally pushing me away.

My heart pounding and blood racing, I watched as Hawkgaze slowly crawled to his paws, the blood from his head wound now leaking to cover his face. He stood there exhausted and literally dead on his paws, shaking pitifully in an attempt to stay standing. This fight was over. There was no point in us continuing to cause each other harm when he obviously no longer proved a threat. Why then? What was Hawkgaze's goal in doing all of this? Surely protecting Brightstar from me couldn't be this important? There had to more, an ulterior motive of such but what?

"I can't let you continue to go down this road of self-destruction, Cloudstorm," he wheezed, stumbling to stay standing. "I won't allow it."

"It's a little too late to still be trying to father me, Hawkgaze," I responded gruffly. "We both know one way or another I have to destroy StarClan. They must pay."

"But at what cost!" he shouted, sending flecks of blood from his face flying as he started toward me in a woozy charge. "You still have a chance to make things right!"

I watched in surprise as beaten and bloody, Hawkgaze charged at me with what I assumed was the last of his strength. Why was he so determined to stop me? Why? Why! "Don't do this!" I shouted as he crossed into my striking range and I lashed out a clawed paw to meet him.

Hawkgaze toppled from the fore of the blow, snapping his head back before bouncing against the ground with a heavy thud. He lay there, still and breathing heavily, as blood began to bleed more profusely from the wound on his head. His eyes were dim, and his face bore several cuts from where I'd smashed him. He wheezed horribly attempting to attain air, but seemed to be only choking himself with every failed attempt.

I looked down upon Hawkgaze, as he struggled to survive, and stared into his eyes. He met my gaze, his silver eyes sparkling and a swarm of memories over swept me in an engulfing embrace.

* * *

><p><em>I saw Hawkgaze pacing back and forth outside the ThunderClan nursery, worry evident on his face. His mate was giving birth to their first litter of kits, and the doubts and fears of what if something was to go wrong ran rampant in his mind. A yowl from inside the nursery sent him into a wild panic before rushing for the entrance.<em>

_Fear clutched at his heart, as he feared the worst had happened. However, upon entering the nursery instead of blood or some gruesome sight, his nostrils were hit the sweet smell of milk, and his ears the soft mewling of kits. The ThunderClan medicine cat turned to Hawkgaze, a small smile upon his lips, as he took a step back and motioned for Hawkgaze to come meet his kits._

_Excitement and anxiety bubbled up inside of him as he took a step forward. His mate, a light-grey she-cat smiled warmly up at him, as he was greeted by the sight of three healthy looking kits._

_"I've already named these two," she said, motioning to the two kits on the far left. "But I saved the last born and only tom for you to name."_

_Hawkgaze peered down closer at the small bundle of fur, and was greeted by a ball of dark grey, puffy fur that reminded him fondly of a grey storm cloud during a thunderstorm. Hawkgaze eyes softened upon seeing the innocent young kit and he glanced up at his mate, his mind made up for the perfect name._

_"Cloudkit," he mewed, proudly smiling down at the kit. "It's the perfect name for the perfect little kit."_

_Suddenly the memory shifted to a dimly lit clearing where Hawkgaze stood staring off in the distance with a cat that I couldn't recognize due to the light, standing by his side._

"_So, are you really going to go through with StarClan's wishes and kill Cloudstorm?" the cat asked softly._

_Hawkgaze didn't answer for several moments, continuing instead to stare off in the distance before finally sighing deeply, "No, I doubt I ever could cause that kind of harm to my own kit no matter what he's done. Call it the blinding love of a foolish tom if you will, but I can't bring myself to do it. I'll hold him at bay as long as I possibly can until hopefully we're able to drive the Dark Forest back. If possible I'll persuade him to run away. Runaway and never come back."_

"_Do you honestly believe for one moment that he's going to take heed and runaway, Hawkgaze?"_

_Hawkgaze closed his eyes, lowering his head in a sign of submission. "No I don't. But I have to try anyway, don't I?"_

* * *

><p>I felt myself released of the memory, finding myself once again standing over a broken Hawkgaze. Grief washed over me in a blanket of sorrow, as I looked down at the dying cat before me. When he finally let go he wouldn't just appear later in StarClan, whole and new again. No, he would vanish forever never to be seen again. It wasn't until now that I fully realized that my father would be gone forever. Torn away from me just like that without a possible way of ever coming back.<p>

"I had to try," Hawkgaze coughed out, regret clouding his gaze. "I'm sor-ry, Cloudstorm. I-I wanted to s-save you. I wanted to save my perfect li-ttle kit, I-i- tr-tried. I had to try."

"I know," I told him gruffly as my throat tightened with grief. "I know, Hawkgaze."

Darkness began to claim Hawkgaze's eyesight before he shut them close. I watched with a pained heart as he took one final successful breathe and exhaled deeply. Before my eyes his body began to glow, radiating brightly with the stars that adorned his pelt. In that same instant I felt him let go and his body suddenly exploded in a blaze of sparkling light as his body evaporated into a cluster of glowing stars before vanishing out of existence.

I stared blankly at the spot where I'd just saw my father's essence disperse into oblivion. Pain like none I've only ever experienced once in my life ripped at my very heart and soul. StarClan had caused this. They had started this entire cause of events, and it was their fault that Hawkgaze was gone. Their fault that he was gone forever!

I threw my head back, and yowled loudly into the heavens above letting my rage and pain be known. He was gone. He was really gone. I regretted what I'd just done. I hated myself for what I'd just done. But I hated StarClan even more for what they'd led me to just commit. They would pay for this. I would journey to the heart of StarClan and finish what should've died moons ago. This was for my mate! This was for my father! This was for revenge!

* * *

><p>I continued onward in a daze, silently carrying the bundle of cobwebs in my jaws while my body felt hollow and empty inside. It's an eerie feeling knowing that it's the blood of your father that's currently staining your claws. It unsettles you in a way that I can't quite bring myself to explain.<p>

To see someone you've been so close and attached to in life up and suddenly disappear, the only notion even remotely close is that of having to bare the feeling of knowing a part of you just died inside. Unfortunately for me it seems I've successfully managed to die twice inside the last seven or eight moons past.

I had only one objective now: The destruction of StarClan. Whatever lingering misgivings I'd previously had at destroying this place died the moment when Hawkgaze disappeared. There was no mercy left to be had, that much was certain. The very next cat that stood in my way, Dark Forest or StarClan would meet their end with me.

I journeyed unopposed for the remainder of the trip. The once prominent and ever present yowls and tussling of fighting cats having slowly faded off into the distance as I drew deeper towards the center of the forest. I noticed the further in I got the thicker and lusher the undergrowth and vegetation seemed to get.

Things got to a critical level where I could no longer see the light of the night sky above thanks to the trees now closing in on each other. The grass itself had managed to sprout to an irritating level of height, hanging now several lengths over my head where I couldn't even tell which direction I was heading.

Time seemed to slow down as I transversed endlessly of what appeared to be a never ending trek. The world had long ago gone deaf, leaving me nothing to hear but my own rapid and heavy breathing. My body grew heavier with each step I took, the power of time itself appearing to weigh me down as I drew ever closer. My heartbeat slowed to a single beat, only letting me know that I was currently still alive with a random beat every other drawn out moment. I felt myself grow sluggish, the speed at which my mind ran screech to a complete stop.

What was I experiencing? This feeling, was this the call of death? This agonizing and drawn out shutdown of a cat's mind and body, was this what it felt like to die? I was insane. I don't think I could keep going much longer. If this didn't stop now I think I really would- Suddenly I lurched forward, dropping the cobwebs from my mouth and beginning to tumble down a hill. I rolled several times before finally coming to a halt.

Clearing my head, I climbed back to my paws seconds too late to realize something was off. Why was everything blue? All around me a powerful aura of blue emitted from every source of life around. The trees, leaves, grass; even I had taken on the strange glow. What was it though? What was making all this happen? And that's when I saw it. In the middle of the enclosed clearing was a blue pool, similar in many ways to the dark pool that resided in the Dark Forest. The difference, however, was startling.

The few times that I'd been around Icefrost black pool there were only two emotions that I ever got from it: Danger and fear. Emitting from this pool, however, was a completely different feeling entirely. A wafting glow of warmth and energy seemed to spill from it, spreading and resonating into anything nearby strength and a sense of safety.

I wanted to get closer. Something about this pool seemed to be calling out to my very soul. If I could just touch it maybe, maybe I could-!

"Stop right there, Cloudstorm."

I stopped. 'That voice!' my blood nearly seemed to be screaming at me as it boiled to new levels.

"You!" I snarled, whipping around to lock gazes with a bright red ginger colored she-cat whose fur contrasted with the blue aura of the pool.

Something in the back of my mind told me I should be wondering how she had managed to find me or an even more troubling idea of what if she'd known I'd be here. If I'd been in the right mind to think logically that's most likely what I should've been thinking. It should but it wasn't. Only one thing dominated my thoughts now and she was standing right in front of me.

Not a word was said. There was no talking, no insults or unnecessary bouts of rage and rants exchanged at all. There was no need. We'd said everything that there was to say to each the very last time that we'd met. Now it was time to settle the score.

We slowly stalked a circle around each other, both of us low to the ground, claws unsheathed, blood racing, muscles tensed and ready to spring. The sheer multitude of all that I had to go through to make it here was making my heart pulsate out of control. I'd waited a long time for this moment to happen, and now with everything presented before me, I was going to take advantage of every possible second of this opportunity.

I made a pounce towards her, deciding an ariel attack would be the best way to get the jump on her. Brightstar stayed still, watching intently as I sailed toward here and at the last possible second duck under, managing in the process to score several times under my belly before I came crashing back down.

I rolled once, using my momentum to propel myself back to my paws before quickly having to backpedal mere seconds later as a swipe from Brightstar just nicked the tip of my nose. I struck back in return, relishing the feel of my claws finally making contact with her flank. It was a shallow cut, but a cut nonetheless, and that was enough to motivate me to try harder.

I let my paws go, attempting to overwhelm her in a swarm of strikes. She not only successfully avoided every one of my attacks, but snuck in two quick swipes of her own every time I missed. The longer the battle raged on, the more vicious it grew.

We bit and clawed, tussling for superior position with her sneaking in with swift swipes and me with clubbing blows. One moment she was scoring relentlessly down my flank and the next I was furiously batting her away before pouncing right back at her. We twist and turned around each other locked in a deadly match of wills as Brightstar managed to get inside and shock me with an angry cuff to the side of the head.

The blow left me disorientated and off balance as I clawed wildly at air, missing each time and allowing her time for a counter attack. The more I swung and miss the more specks of blood seemed to fly from my pelt. The air was knocked out of me as Brightstar's weight suddenly came crashing on to me.

She attempted to force her forward and pin me to the ground before I pushed her away after scoring several time to her flanks with my hind paws. Scrambling back to paws, I managed to slip a swipe intended to blind me and slammed my body into Brightstar, sending her flying back several foxlengths.

Without a second thought I charge back into battle, letting my hate and anger guide my claws towards Brightstar body. I raked my claws down her spine, hearing the sound of my claws rip through Brightstar's flesh as she yowled out in outrage. I slashed down without hesitation, feeling the spray of blood stain my fur as I opened up a nasty cut across the side of Brightstar's left flank.

In return, Brightstar latched on to my right foreleg, digging deeply into the limb before pouncing forward to clench her jaws against my shoulder. Fire erupted from my shoulder as Brightstar sunk her fangs deep, blood beginning to already profusely flow from the wound. I angrily batted at her, forcing her to let go before finally breaking free. Blood splattered the ground as my wound leaked all the way down my foreleg, staining the grass red.

We paused for a split second to view the other, gasping for the little bit of air we'd both only allow each other to have. My blood still boiled uncontrollably at the sight of her, every single one of my instincts urging me on to attack, attack, attack!

Her body was littered with an array of scratches and bites as blood pooled from the wound on her left flank while I resembled a similar sight except with blood pooling from my shoulder. Our paws were soaked in so much blood there was no chance of telling the difference between ones blood from the other. It was all the same anyway. Both burned with the desire to see the other cat standing before crushed and humbled before their paws.

I took a step forward and winced as my body buckled slightly from the pain of my shoulder. That was all the opening Brightstar needed to attack and start the fighting back up. Lips curled back in a snarl I met her attack head as we collided in a barrage of flailing limbs and the blur of white fangs disappearing to sink into flesh.

We battered and bruised each other without concern for our safety. There was only one thought echoing in continuous, rapid succession in our minds. Attack, attack, attack! That would be the deciding factor of this battle, the turning point of who reigned victor while the other lay humbled on the ground in defeat. The first cat whose mind wavered even for the slightest of moments away from the current thought would fall.

The battle raged on with seemingly no end when it happened. It was the faintest of signs, barely perceptible by anyone other than the two of us fighting, but for the slightest of moments a slip in Brightstar's intensity occurred and I struck. Claws flashed, blood flew, and Brightstar's eyes widened in shock. She fell back from the blow and I lunged forward, latching my fangs around her throat and preparing to end it all with one final bite.

I released Brightstar's neck and took a step back away from the ginger she-cat. Brightstar gave a wheezing cough as I released her and looked up at me in absolute disbelief.

"Wh-why?" she asked shocked to find I hadn't finished her.

"Don't take this as a sign of mercy," I told her snarling. "I still plan to kill you, Brightstar, but simply ripping your throat out in cold blood isn't enough for me. There's no satisfaction to be had in a quick kill. It's too easy, allowing you a quick escape from the all pain I have in store for you. I'm going to beat you into submission, Brightstar. Assault you until you're begging me for your life like you and StarClan made me beg when my mate was dying. You're going to experience the pain I felt that day and every day after until you're begging me to release you from this horrible existence. And then, only then will I kill you."

I stood over Brightstar, a towering omen of death as I raised my paw for what would be the first strike of her long awaited punishment.

"Cloudstorm stop!"

I froze. No, that voice. It couldn't be. She couldn't be. There was no possible way! My gaze drifted to the origin of the voice starting at the paws and slowly traveling my way up before making contact with the face. My heart shattered.

"Amberheart."

**A/N: One chapter remains.**


	11. Chapter 10: Oblivion, Part one

**A/N: About halfway through typing this chapter up I realized the story's climax would turn out a lot longer than I had originally anticipated. So to keep from killing you all with a ridiculously massive conclusion, I've decided to split the ending into two chapters. This chapter is part one of that finale. Sorry for the wait, R&R, and enjoy!**

_**Chapter 10: Oblivion: Part one**_

_**Oblivion claims you**_

No.

I took a step away from Brightstar; my eyes widened in disbelief. I felt my breath catch as a foreign tingle shot across my body, ending at the base of my tail. No. The clearing had fallen silent, the sound of my own thudding heart the only thing I could hear. This had to be some sick joke, some savage trick of the light being played on my eyes.

That pelt though, that same pale creamy fur always appearing so neatly groomed and smelling of the sweet lavender. It was an image straight out of my memory. My gaze lingered on every inch of her body, every single possible strand of glittery hair before locking eyes with her.

Those eyes, those burning amber eyes that glowed intensely with the heat of the sun, shinned majestically like the hue from the aura of the full moon and cut through all my defenses to stare straight at my vulnerable heart and soul. Spots flickered in the corners of my eyes as I began to feel lightheaded. It was her. I swayed to the side, unsteadily on my paws as my heart split in two at the sight of her. Amberheart.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Brightstar snarl weakly. "I told you to stay out of this, Amberheart! I've got this handled. I-"

"Enough is enough, Brightstar!" Amberheart cried out, cutting her off. "I can't bear to sit back and watch all this death and destruction anymore! I'm just as much a part of all this mess as you are. I-" her voice caught as we made eye contact.

"Why?" my voice echoed out hollowly as my legs trembled. "You're not supposed to be here. You can't be."

Her eyes clouded in pain, a tragic look of sorrow etched across her beautiful face. "Cloudstorm, I-," she began before suddenly my eyes glazed over and I collapsed to the ground. "Cloudstorm!" I heard her shriek, but somehow seeming to sound so far away. "Cloudstorm!"

My breath came out in pitifully short and ragged bursts, my sense of awareness slowly beginning to shut down until I saw nothing but a blurred image of the reality around me. I was vaguely aware of the notion of a warm body pressing against me as delicate paws roamed across my body.

"Oh, StarClan," Amberheart's frightened voice sounded somewhere from above. "You've lost so much blood, Cloudstorm. All these injuries, you've been gravely wounded this entire fight! How you even managed to go around still fighting I can't even begin to fathom. I-I think you're-," her voiced cracked.

It almost seemed comical, considering the circumstances. How sinisterly sadistic and twisted the world was, reversing the roles like this.

"How?" I managed to whisper. I had to know that at least. "Yo-you shouldn't be. You told me you didn't believe in StarClan." In life Amberheart had been a medicine cat who didn't believe in an afterlife where her ancestors roamed free. It was extremely rare in occurrence but not impossible. "I always thought you'd gone somewhere else, some place that deserved you."

I felt Amberheart lean in close as she then softly licked my cheek. "Oh, Cloudstorm," she whispered softly, her voice heavy with regret. "When..when I was dying that day, I-I didn't know what to do. I was so terrified, Cloudstorm, so very terrified about the unknown of not knowing what would happen to me. I was so terrified of journeying to a place where you might not be able to follow me. With every ounce and shred of belief I had in me I willed StarClan to take me in, to forgive my ignorance and allow me a place by their side."

Why? After all this time why was I finding out about this now? "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you ever try to contact me through my dreams? For moons I thought you were out of my reach forever. Why did you let me live on thinking you were gone?"

"I couldn't," she replied sorrowfully. "As a part of your banishment I was forbidden by StarClan to ever contact you. You had to be left alone to live out your exile; Brightstar made me swear that I would."

I clenched my jaws tightly as rage bubbled in my gut. "So even your death wasn't good enough for them, was it? I asked bitterly. "StarClan had to find some other way to torture and taunt me."

"It was cruel, yes," she mewed sadly. "And I will forever regret agreeing to it, but a single moment didn't go by where I wasn't watching you. You'll never know how deeply it pained me not being able to reach out to you, to sit here and see you suffer all alone. I wanted nothing more than to reach out to you so that night, that fateful night with you and Leafbreeze, I went against StarClan's wishes and tried to contact you. But…"

"But what?"

Amberheart closed her eyes. "When I tried to walk among your dreams something stopped me. So I was forced to sit here and watch the tom I loved immersed in blinding hate, wage war in my name when I wanted nothing more than for you to stop and please try to live. Why, Cloudstorm?" she whispered, her voice laden with pain. "Why go through all this for me?"

"They took you away from me," I responded sorrowfully, wondering why she was asking me this. Didn't she understand? "You, our kits, you all were taken from me just like that. My entire life was ripped away from me, stolen from me by the same cats that were supposed to protect us. I had no other choice."

Amberheart placed a soft paw on my face. "But I never would've wanted this, Cloudstorm. If it had been you who'd died that day instead there's no way you can lay here and tell me you would've wanted me to spend the rest of my life seeking revenge in your name? You would've wanted me to continue living for the both of us. You would've wanted to know that vengeance isn't the answer just like I'm telling you now."

So it was all for nothing then, I thought. Everything, this entire scheme to destroy StarClan, all the lives of the cats I'd killed, the pain, the suffering, Hawkgaze, it was all for nothing. I'd done this all in revenge for what StarClan had taken from me. But how could I go on now? How could I allow this place to be destroyed when the one cat I'd done all this for was in fact a member of StarClan?

"I must look like quite a mess," I joked weakly. "Just like old times, huh?"

A low purr rumbled in Amberheart's throat as she pressed her nose against my cheek. "I suppose it is," she muttered softly. Although, I'm afraid this time there's nothing I can do to heal you."

She said it with such grief and sadness that with all the strength I could muster left, I turned my head so that we were now touching noses. "It's okay," I whispered. "Death is nothing as long I have you here beside me."

And I meant it. Even now with death's awaiting claws, silently holding back for the right moment to tear my life away, I was content. Even in death, Amberheart's presence was enough to lull me into a calm sense of peace. But why then was something she'd said still bothering me?

I pulled back from her. "You said something stopped you from entering my dreams. Do you know what caused it?"

Through my blurry gaze I saw Amberheart tilt her head to the side. "I'm not sure exactly. The few times I tried there was always something blocking me from getting any closer. Some kind of barrier, and whenever I tried to force my way through it would feel like I was being torn to shreds. It was almost like…like trying to walk through a thorn bush.

I felt my body go rigid._ 'A thorn bush?'_ No. There was only one cat capable of a feat like that, only one cat who had the strange power of being able to block StarClan cats from reaching other cats. Even now the haunting echo of her crazed laughter seemed to penetrate every pore of my being.

**Rosethorn.**

She knew! This entire time she knew Amberheart was in StarClan and used her powers to keep her from contacting me, from me knowing. And if Rosethorn knew then it would only make sense that-.

"Well isn't this a touching scene."

Simultaneously, I heard a gasp from Amberheart and growl from Brightstar. Even with my sight reduced to such a pitiful state there was no need to try and make out the fuzzy image of the cat that had just emerged into the clearing.

"Icefrost!" Brightstar spat angrily.

"Well, you've certainly seen better days, Brightstar," Icefrost mewed, his voice laced with dark amusement. "I have to say this is quite a surprise though. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here, but I somehow find it fitting to have you present at my moment of glory as my conquest of StarClan is fulfilled."

I heard Brightstar snarl. "That day will come to pass only over my dead body!"

"Your statement merely contradicts itself, seeing as you are in fact already dead," Icefrost easily dismissed, padding across the clearing. "And just take a look at yourself Brightstar. I doubt you can even so much as stand at the moment."

And he was right. Just like me, Brightstar had taken serious damage in our battle. Even if she could muster the strength to stand up there was no way she'd be able to take on Icefrost. He'd strike her down in moments. Icefrost continued across the clearing before finally halting near the three of us.

"Let me guess," he mewed. "You and Cloudstorm decided to finally settle your little dispute, didn't you?" I suddenly felt his gaze upon me. "And from the looks of things it doesn't look like you came out on the winning end, Cloudstorm, disappointing to say the least."

Before I could respond, I felt Amberheart's fur bristle as she suddenly rounded on Icefrost. "You're the monster whose caused all of this mayhem, aren't you?" she demanded, surprising me at the amount of emotion radiating in her voice. "You have no right to talk about him; you spineless coward! You used my death as a means to hurt and use Cloudstorm!"

With a start, I realized she had stepped away from me. My chest began to swell with panic as the sound of pawsteps started forward towards Icefrost.

"Get away from him Amberheart!" I heard Brightstar shriek in a frightened tone. "He'll kill you!"

For once in my life I actually agreed with Brightstar. What was Amberheart thinking? What was she expecting to accomplish by confronting Icefrost. She had to get away from him now!

"No," Amberheart called back defiantly. "I won't back away. I refuse to allow this monster to continue on with this tirade."

"And who might you be?" Icefrost inquired in feigned ignorance. "I'm not sure we ever had the pleasure of being acquainted in life."

"You disgust me," Amberheart sneered. "How can you be so smug, so calm and at peace with the mess you've caused? Are the cats that inhabit the Dark Forest really this heartless? Do you feel no shame or regret for all the lives that you've taken?"

"Such harsh words from a cat so beautiful," Icefrost mused. "You judge me without even first knowing me though. Compared to the crimes your precious Brightstar and StarClan have committed I'm seen as a savior to those who are sick of being oppressed. I am the Clans liberation from that oppression."

Amberheart snorted. "Liberation, Icefrost? And do you call that all-out Clan war in the forest apart of your great liberation from StarClan? What about the cats you tricked into following you; is brainwashing them apart of their liberation, also?"

A dark chuckle suddenly emanated from Icefrost, echoing throughout the clearing and sending a chill down my spine. The events that unfolded next happened to fast for me to correctly grasp. A startled cry rang from Amberheart followed by a loud thud on the ground were the only things I had to know things had just taken a turn for the worst.

"Get off of her!" I heard Brightstar snarl. Moments later I heard the sounds of scuffling of which I took as Brightstar trying to climb to her paws before collapsing back down, completely useless.

I could only lay there useless myself unable to move the slightest inch to help Amberheart. It was simply infuriating to be so near but so helpless to do a thing for Amberheart. How was it possible for me to find myself in this situation again?

Through my faded vision I could just barely make out the blurred images of a larger shape standing over a pitifully smaller one. As a painful whimper sounded from Amberheart I could safely hazard a guess that she was in fact the smaller shape currently being pinned to the ground.

"I don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for you," Icefrost hissed softly, his voice carrying a sinister edge to it. "All this talk coming from a she-cat who along with her mate was oppressed by the very same cats she's currently trying to defend. Those very same cats that not only allowed her to die, her mate be exiled, but also cause the death of their unborn kits. Tell me _Amberheart_?" his voice dropped into a mocking sneer. "How does that feel? Aren't you ashamed, completely disgusted with yourself?"

The exact moment I heard him speak her name I knew Icefrost had known this entire time, there wasn't a doubt in my mind.

"You lied to me," I growled weakly. "All..all this time you knew. From the moment I first set paw in the Dark Forest, you knew Amberheart was here in StarClan! Didn't you?"

Why was I so surprised? From the very beginning I knew Icefrost couldn't be trusted. I knew he had his own ulterior motives for wanting to help me take down StarClan, that we were only using each other to further our own personal goals. But why, why then did I feel so betrayed at this realization, so utterly duped and used?

"I lied to you?" I heard Icefrost utter as I felt his gaze turn on me. "Naïve Cloudstorm, I never lied to you. No, you never asked me about your precious Amberheart once."

"That doesn't excuse you! You knew she was here. You knew I'd never have agreed to help you destroy StarClan if I'd known. You took advantage of that knowledge and used it against me."

"And you find that surprising?" he asked. "Everyone had a vital role to play in the coming to fruition of my conquest and you were no different. You were invaluable to my plans Cloudstorm. Without your hatred and drive for vengeance I never would have been able to succeed. Do you honestly believe I would allow any type of inconvenience to get in the way of that? I only did what was necessary."

**Necessary**

Could I blame him? The basis of my relationship with the Dark Forest had all but rested on the foundation of using the other. I knew it the moment I agreed to align myself with them. Was I really in any real position to judge Icefrost when the only thing he had done was the exact same thing I had to him? Maybe I was just too arrogant to think I was invincible enough to withstand any backlash that may occur from working with him.

"Now," Icefrost continued. "I believe the last time we were together I gave you a bundle of cobwebs to carry. Where is it?"

"Why should I tell you?" I retorted, still bitter having allowed him to fool me. In reality I had no idea where it was. I vaguely remember dropping it earlier when I had tripped and tumbled down into the clearing.

A low growl rumbled from Icefrost. "That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear." My fur stood on end as an agonized cry sounded from Amberheart. "I don't have the luxury of time for you to be snide Cloudstorm." Another cry came from Amberheart. "You killed three cats in the name of your precious medicine cat here so I highly doubt remembering where you left it should be much of a hassle for you."

"She's not a part of this!" I snarled. "Let her go now or I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" Icefrost challenged, as another agonized cry sounded from Amberheart. "You're not in a position or condition to be issuing threats here. Simply tell me where it is or your precious Amberheart gets to experience the pangs on death for a second time."

"Really brave torturing a cat that can't even defend herself," Brightstar spat at Icefrost. "Is there no low you won't sink to?"

"You're one to talk," I growled. "As far as I'm concerned you're just as bad as he is."

"This isn't about me you petty mousebrain!" she snapped back. "If you really loved Amberheart as much as you claim you do, you'd do something instead of lying there like a fish out of water."

Before I could open my mouth to retort my voice was suddenly drowned out by the pained screams of Amberheart.

"Stop it!" I demanded.

"You don't seem like a tom who's too worried about the fate of his mate," Icefrost sneered. "Maybe if I start relieving her of a little blood you'll start to take me seriously."

My blood boiled as hatred flowed through my veins. I was angry at Icefrost for what he was doing to Amberheart, but I was even angrier at myself for being so helpless to do a thing about it.

"I don't know where it is!" I snarled vehemently at him. "I dropped it. It could be anywhere around this clearing!"

There was a slight pause as my words were left to hang in the air. Suddenly, a tromp of paws hitting the ground engulfed my hearing before the air was knocked straight out of my lungs. I gagged, choking as Icefrost's massive paw weighed down on my chest.

"What did you say!" he snarled in my face, his hot breath causing me to flinch away. I cried out loud as he gripped my chest and his claws dug into my skin. "You dropped it! This better be some joke you little scum or you're about to regret ever crossing paths with me!"

"Yo-you heard me," I choked out, glaring defiantly up at him. Icefrost's face twisted into a savage look of rage as his eyes ignited with fury.

"You'll regret that," he snarled, raising his unsheathed paw.

"Stop!" Amberheart cried out, causing Icefrost to halt his strike. "Don't," she pleaded, slowly crawling to her paws. "Please I'll do anything. I'll find this thing for you, just don't hurt Cloudstorm."

"What do you mean you'll help him?" I coughed out. "I'm dying anyway, Amberheart; get out of here now while you still have a chance!"

My pleas fell on deaf ears, however, as Amberheart stood still, meeting Icefrost's gaze.

"You'll what now? Did I hear you correctly, then?" Icefrost asked, slowly lowering his paw.

"Yes," Amberheart stated in an even tone. "Cloudstorm said he dropped your bundle of cobwebs somewhere around the clearing. If you promise not to harm him I'll look for it."

Icefrost glared down at me before turning back to her. "I'm not a patient cat. You better hope you find it before time runs out or Cloudstorm will meet his end a lot sooner."

I couldn't let Amberheart do this. Knowing Icefrost, that bundle of cobwebs hadn't been brought to just patch up wounds. There had to be more to it, something I wasn't seeing. But- and then it hit me. But why, what would he need that for? I don't know, but whatever it was it wouldn't bode well for anyone.

As I heard her begin to trot off I opened my mouth to try and warn Amberheart, but a stiff blow to the chest from Icefrost left me wheezing. Just moments later I felt my windpipe constricted as a heavy paw was pressed down against it. Through my blurred vision I could just make out Icefrost hovering over me, his cold blue eyes glittering dangerously as he glared down at me.

"Not a word," he growled.

Once again I'd found myself helpless, completely at the mercy of another cat. How had things spiraled out of control so fast? What was Icefrost planning to do with that thing? He said earlier that he was going to bring about the destruction of StarClan from the inside, but how? None of this made sense. And what was the deal with him being so anxious? He kept referring to time, how he didn't have the luxury to waste any. What was I missing here?

"So this is what all your ambitions led you to, huh Cloudstorm?" I heard Brightstar remark snidely. That infuriating she-cat, even with me at my lowest Brightstar still found some way to stick my face further in the mud. "It must sting to so blatantly be reduced to such a pitiful state with an even more pitiful cat standing over you. I should know, once upon a time ago I shared the exact same position you're currently in. You can trust Icefrost to not have learned anything from his previous life."

"Talk all you want Brightstar, but in a few moments you'll soon wish that I had succeeded in killing you all those moons ago," Icefrost growled. "You thwarting my chance at Clan dominance is partly what inspired my goal to destroy StarClan."

Brightstar snorted. "You were mad then to think you could take over all four Clans, and you're even madder now to think that you can destroy StarClan."

"And it seems you're even more close minded than you were back then," Icefrost replied. "In a matter of moments you'll soon learn that I make good on my word."

The more time that went by the more anxious and hostile Icefrost became. This was a tom I had grown to know for his stoic demeanor, but that had all but vanished as the seconds continued to tick by. His tail flicked back and forth in an agitated state as he grounded his teeth and raked his claws through the grass.

"My patience is warring," he growled in the direction Amberheart was searching.

"I'm trying," she called back. "Finding something that small isn't exactly ea-is this it?"

"You found it?" Icefrost called, unable to hide the relief and excitement from his voice. "Bring it here now! Hurry up is you want me to spare Cloudstorm!"

I could do nothing but wait as the pad of pawsteps echoed against the ground. Amberheart had no idea what she was handing over to Icefrost and I was powerless to do anything about it. All the while as Amberheart drew closer Icefrost kept his paw pressed firmly against my neck, halting any chance I may have to warn her.

"That's right," I heard Icefrost whisper. "Place it at my paws and step away."

Brightstar slowly placed the bundle of cobwebs at Icefrost's paws and then quickly backed away. "You've got what you wanted now. You'll let Cloudstorm go now right now?"

"In a moment," Icefrost replied, taking his free paw to start tearing away at the cobwebs. "Before that I think you and Brightstar would like to have a first look at my path to rebirth."

_Rebirth_? What was Icefrost going on about?

"Rebirth?" Brightstar repeat in a panicked voice. "But, but-"

"Yes," Icefrost chuckled darkly. "Haven't any of you given thought to just what this place is? Brightstar surely you must know. That pool of water is known far wide throughout StarClan. Its legend has even reached the ears of those of the Dark Forest. _The Water of Legacy, The Light of StarClan,_ or in this case, _The Pool of Rebirth._ And finally it's within my grasp. I have what I need to…"

Icefrost suddenly trailed off. His voice died all together as he finally finished tearing through the cobwebs. "No," I heard the tiniest of sound from him. "It's not here," he muttered, his voice slowly growing louder. "It's gone! IT'S GONE!"

The pressure was suddenly released from my neck and I knew trouble was about to start. The churning emotions of outright fury were wafting off of Icefrost in waves. That wasn't what had me worried though. It was who that fury was directed towards that did.

"Amberheart run!"

My warning came too late though as I felt Icefrost bound his muscles together and feel his paws leave the ground as he sailed through the air towards Amberheart. I heard the air leave her body as Icefrost's massive frame impacted her body.

"Where is it?" Icefrost snarled, bearing down the full extent of his weight on Amberheart. "What did you do with it? Tell me!"

Amberheart let out a startled cry. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me!" Icefrost roared. "You hid it didn't you? Where! Tell me where or I swear I'll rip you to shreds now!"

In that split instant I felt Icefrost raise an unsheathed paw in the air. He was going to kill her. Everything seemed to slow down as the scene unfolded. I was present the first time Amberheart had died. I sat there absolutely useless as she died right before my eyes, her dying screams forever haunting my nightmares. No. Never again, I refuse!

I don't know what happened. I just reacted. Without any true recognition of what was going on I found myself spiraling through the air as I used my entire body to ram into Icefrost's shoulder, sending the both of us toppling away. I bounced against the ground once before rolling to a complete stop.

Amberheart was safe I kept telling myself over and over again. I had saved her. Finally, I had been able to save her.

"You worthless pile of mousebile!"

That was the only warning before a massive paw slammed in the side of head, sending me rolling further across the clearing. Icefrost stood livid, his fur standing on end; claws unsheathed, and murder glittering in his eyes.

"I've tolerated your presence for far too long now, Cloudstorm," he snarled, hovering over me. "You're the very embodiment of what it means to be ungrateful. Haven't I lived up to my side of the bargain? You wanted a chance to kill Brightstar and destroy StarClan and here they are! I presented them to you like one presents a pack of wolves to a field of rabbits. And how do you repay me? You ruin my plans, lose your nerve, attack me, and side with the very faction you swore to destroy all because your little medicine cat resides here. If that's not a compelling enough reason to kill you then you'll excuse me if I see no other reason why you deserve to continue on living."

The blow came faster than I expected. Somewhere far off I heard Amberheart scream as the world around me began to fade to black.

"Consider our alliance abolished," Icefrost's voice echoed.

"Cloudstorm!" I heard the slightest sound of Amberheart's cry out. "Cloudstorm! Cloudstorm!"

Had a still living cat ever died in StarClan? What would happen to me? Was there even really any point in wondering?

"Don't you leave me!" Amberheart's voice called, sounding farther and farther away.

My breath came out shallower and shallower, the beat of my heart slowing down to a single pounding beat. All my scheming hadn't been enough to save me in the end, but at least I managed to save Amberheart. That at least left me with a satisfying feeling. I had saved her. I really…

Icefrost stared down at Cloudstorm's lifeless body before turning away. The anguished cries of Amberheart filled the clearing with a chilling rang, but the dark tom barely paid attention.

His plans, they were all ruined. But how? Icefrost wondered, grinding his teeth together. Where could it possibly have gone? The only other cat that'd been in possession of the cobwebs was. His eyes widened in shock before a cackle of laughter erupted around the surrounding woods, sending a chill down his spine.

Icefrost traced the laughter all the way up until he caught sight of the body of white that clashed against the blue lighting from the pool. The position was well picked, easily hiding her from the view of anyone else until they were purposefully looking for her white fur. But it wasn't the white she-cat that had caught his attention. No, it was the beating heart under her left paw.

Rosethorn's green eyes glittered madly as she smiled at Icefrost. "What's the matter Icefrost?" she taunted. "Did you lose something?"

**A/N: And because I know some of you are already wondering when the next chapter will be, I promise it'll be up before next Sunday.**


	12. Chapter 11: Oblivion, Part two

**A/N: While trying to finish this before the week ended I realized that the conclusion of this story was turning out to still be too long to be wrapped up in a single chapter that wasn't pain killingly long. As things have turned out I've had to split the finale apart a second time. And so while I get to work finishing the third and final part, I leave you all with part two of the story's finale. Enjoy! **

_**Chapter 11: Oblivion: Part two**_

_**Every Rose Has Its Thorn**_

Icefrost stared at the white she-cat before him as the blue hue from the pool bathed her body in an eerie glow. His cold blue eyes met her mad green ones which shone with unconcealed contempt for the tom before her. There was no mistaking her intentions now; he had been tricked.

"You shouldn't look so surprised, Icefrost," Rosethorn crooned mockingly. "Anyone with half a brain saw this coming moons ago."

A deep growl rumbled in Icefrost's throat as he unsheathed his claws.

"Insolent she-cat, you have the nerve to betray me? You have no idea the wrath you've just called upon yourself."

Rosethorn answered the threat with a crazed bout of laughter, causing Icefrost's rage to boil in the process. What right did she have to dismiss him so easily? Her arrogance was infuriating! He could just as easily kill her with a swift swipe right now.

"You're out of your league here, Icefrost; you always were," Rosethorn taunted. "Don't you get it yet? You've already lost."

Icefrost narrowed his eyes. "I've already lost? That's quite a bold statement to make seeing as I can still kill you and just take the heart."

Rosethorn's eyes glowed for a moment. "You lost that chance the moment you stepped paw here."

Faster than Icefrost could anticipate the ground below him cracked and split open as tendrils of vines adorned with thorns sprouted out and latched on to his hind legs. A startled cry rang from his lips as the thorn vines slithered further up his body, digging painfully into his skin as they grew tighter around him.

With terror rising in his chest as the vines threatened to overwhelm him, Icefrost lashed out at the vines, trying desperately to free himself. Two frightened yowls caught his attention as he glanced up to see more of the same vines wrapping themselves around Brightstar and Amberheart.

Icefrost noted how weakly Brightstar bit and batted at the vines ensnaring her, too drained and injured from her battle with Cloudstorm to put up much of a fight. She'd be captured in a matter of moments. The medicine cat wasn't far off herself. For every vine she seemed able to knaw away from her body, another soon sprouted and took its place. With a start Icefrost realized the same to be true for his own predicament. No matter how many vines he tore and snatched away two more quickly take their place, rapidly curling their way further and further up his body.

The onslaught frenzy of vines continued, wrapping their way firmly across Icefrost's back before forcing the dark tom to the floor. Icefrost writhed back and forth, refusing to give in, but those struggles soon became futile as the tendrils slithered their way across his throat. Icefrost felt his breathing constrict and neck sting as the thorns pierced his throat. Faced with the knowledge that continuing to struggle would only cause the vines to tighten more and unable to free himself, the dark tom could do nothing else but lay still, glaring hatefully at the white she-cat before him in spite.

"I told you so," Rosethorn laughed, walking over to flick Icefrost's nose with the tip of her tail.

The dark tom glared at Rosethorn, the burning rage and hate surging behind his eyes enough to tell her he wished for nothing more in the world than to kill her right now. Rosethorn returned the glare with a sideways smile before padding away, leaving the heart unguarded and uncared for right in front of Icefrost as a silent taunt at his expense.

"This was just too easy," Rosethorn spoke, padding over to the edge of the blue pool. "For moons I sat back and watched you all plot and scheme against each other while all this time oblivious to where the true threat lurked. Your arrogance has led to your downfall."

"Who are you?" Brightstar demanded from the confines of her vines. "And what's this all about?"

Rosethorn turned from the pool to grin wickedly at Brightstar. "Who I am isn't important, Brightstar, but for the sake of things you can call me Rosethorn."

Brightstar eyes widened in shocked. "Rosethorn? Not _Rosethorn the scourge_, infamous kit killer of the four Clans?"

A mad cackle sounded from Rosethorn. "Ah, so my prestigious title exceeds me even now. But to get back on subject what this is all about is simple. The absolute and complete destruction of everything this twisted history stands for. I'm not just talking about StarClan, no the Dark Forest and the four Clans also."

"_What_?" Icefrost interrupted, staring at Rosethorn unable to hide the shock and rage in his voice. "You didn't say anything the Dark Forest or the entire forest. You said ShadowClan wouldn't be harmed. You said there would be survivors when you initiated the plague! What about my reincarnation? I can't become and lead a life that no longer exists!"

Rosethorn turned to Icefrost with a look of surprise before throwing her head back in uncontrollable laughter.

"Reincarnation, Icefrost? After all these moons of accumulating power and being left to suffer in the Dark Forest, your plan to get StarClan back was by leading a horde of cats here and while everyone's preoccupied have yourself another shot at complete domination of the forest?"

Rosethorn snorted, shaking her in disgust.

"Do you know how long I've waited for this? The eternity of moons I was left to fester away in that accursed forest having been scorned by the very same cats I once healed? I was simply biding my time waiting for some misguided fool like you to come by seeking power. The day you came to me I saw my chance and promised you your heart's desire of having another chance at Clan unification by telling you, you could resurrect yourself from the dead to become reborn as a kit in ShadowClan who was prophesized to become leader."

"Listen to how ridiculous that sounds," she continued. "Even Goldenshine's unaware of my true intentions. He's just as clueless as you are actually believing that I'm going to wipe out every Clan except for ShadowClan and the moment that kit is born he has to kill it, making room for your soul as you used one of the lives you stole from Nightstar to help revive the body as you dived into the pool the moment the kit's soul left its body so that yours could enter it. It's completely idiotic, but you never saw reason to doubt me or my powers before so why then. From there I just allowed you to think you were in control while secretly working you like a pawn from the shadows."

"So everything you had me do was pointless!" Icefrost growled angrily. "Taking Leafbreeze's heart and stealing Nightstar's lives was all just a part of your lie?"

"You're finally learning," Rosethorn answered, laughing. "The reason I had you take them was a lie, yes, but it wasn't pointless. To get StarClan to focus all their attention upon Cloudstorm I had you order him to slay Leafbreeze and take her heart as it ultimate show of defiance which turned out perfectly. From there I needed a way to weaken StarClan even more and decided what better way than by not only having a Clan defect from their grasp, but have a cat they gifted with nine lives willingly give their remaining ones up. Everything's gone perfectly up till now, but I can't finish this without Cloudstorm."

Everyone's attention suddenly shifted to the still body of the recently deceased tom that lay off to the side.

"From the start I knew there was something special about Cloudstorm," Rosethorn stated, leaving the edge of the pool to stand by his body. "The aura of hate and rage he exuberated was so tantalizing, so much like my own that I knew only he could possess the nourishment that was required" she purred softly, reaching out a paw to stroke Cloudstorm's face.

"Don't you touch him!"

Rosethorn paused at the sudden outburst before turning her head in the direction of Amberheart. The cream colored she-cat struggled against the vines that encased her, glaring at Rosethorn through fury filled eyes.

"Don't you dare touch him," she repeated, growling for emphasis.

Rosethorn's face twisted into a lopsided smile before stepping away from Cloudstorm to go stand towering over Amberheart, her green eyes shining dangerously.

"And at last we finally meet, RiverClan water rat," Rosethorn spoke, slowly trailing her claws along Amberheart's face. "I've pondered a long time about what I'd do the moment I finally got you within reach of my claws. You may be unaware of this, but you caused me quite some heartbreak when Cloudstorm refused to join me because of his love for you. How pathetic that he should choose such a disgrace for a medicine cat when he could have me. It's a pity he's dead now because I would have really wanted him to see this."

"I'm not afraid of you," Amberheart growled, staring bravely into the mad she-cat's eyes.

"Oh, I certainly hope not," Rosethorn whispered sinisterly, stopping her claws just at the edge Amberheart's left eye. "It wouldn't be as satisfying to slowly break you if you were."

In that instant Rosethorn slashed downward with her claws. Blood went flying as the air was suddenly filled with the painful chorus of agonized shrieks. Rosethorn pulled her now crimson stained paw back as she admired the three new long gagged lines that etched from the bottom of Amberheart's eye to the end of her face. She licked the blood from her claws, smiling maniacally as she relished in the metallic taste of blood.

Amberheart closed her eyes and clenched her teeth together as blood pooled from the cuts on her face. Her body shook from the searing amounts of pain as Rosethorn gleefully watched on.

"Did that hurt little river rat?" she taunted, raising her claws for a second time. "I hope so because it's about to get worse. Or it would," she said, suddenly lowering her claws and taking a step back. "But I'm afraid I can't finish our little playtime together."

Amberheart blinked in surprised as Rosethorn turned away, shocked that the sadistic white cat was actually just going to stop there when there was nothing keeping her from torturing her further.

Rosethorn retraced her steps back, coming to stand directly over Cloudstorm's body again. Her glittering green eyes swept across the dead tom's bloody and scared body once before placing a paw on the open wound on his shoulder.

With a start, Amberheart stifled a gasp as Rosethorn plunged her paw into the wound, digging deeply before snatching her paw out as a flood of blood began to flow from it now spilling to ground.

"What are you doing?" Amberheart cried out, unable to help herself. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

This cat, this _creature_ that had the audacity to call herself a medicine cat was mutilating Cloudstorm's dead body. How could any cat that'd carried the title of medicine cat do such a thing as desecrate another cat's body? It was an outright crime against nature itself.

Rosethorn turned to her grinning wickedly. "Patience, river rat, the process is starting now."

They all continued to watch as Cloudstorm's blood pooled from the wound, swirling and seeping into the ground. As the blood began to slowly amass in size and grow into a small red puddle of crimson, a divide in the bloods thickness occurred. It started out minuscule, almost undetectable to the eye before slowly growing until a split in the red waters happened and the protrusion of a small bud emerged.

Suddenly the bud split open and with a source of newfound energy it began to sprout. The form of a thin green stalk rose higher from the depths of the blood, slowly twisting and straightening as it grew longer. The transformation continued until finally the flower stood in full bloom, the center piece of its sinister beauty being the countless red petals aligned so smooth and delicate.

"You can't be serious." a snort rose from Icefrost. "All that big talk and anticipation you built up about your deadly plague and your great reveal is a single rose. I have to say that I'm disappointed."

Rosethorn snickered while shaking her head. "And it's precisely that kind of thinking that led me to so easily overthrow you, Icefrost. There's a reason I named this rose the plague. It's a disease that rots and decays a place from the inside, claiming countless lives in the process and this rose will do just that."

"For once I agree with Icefrost," Brightstar spoke up. "There's no way a mere rose could do what you're claiming."

"And that's also the reason why you were so easy to take down as well," Rosethorn laughed. "This isn't some mere rose. I created this with sole purpose of being the bane that rotted StarClan from the inside." She cast a brief glance at Cloudstorm. "He would have made the perfect mate. He was the only cat in this world whose own hatred rivaled and possibly surpassed my own. It's thanks to that hate and rage flowing through his blood that was able to provide the fuel and nourishment my rose needed to finally sprout. It almost seems funny that the demise of the Clans should be brought about by something so delicate and small."

Rosethorn turned to stare at them. "The life you all fought to control is about to end. All I have to do is drop this rose in the waters of the pool and then the destruction commences."

"I don't understand," Amberheart spoke, staring at Rosethorn in desperation. "I can understand your hatred against StarClan, but what have the living cats of the forest done to you? They're completely innocent in all of this. Why make them suffer?"

"You think I care?" Rosethorn spat, her eyes flashing. "You're all no different, none of you are! Every last one of you dead and alive are nothing but insignificant insects with a history that consists of senseless bickering and fighting amongst each other while attempting to judge and control those you deem weaker than yourselves. You're the very hindrance to your own growth and I'm tonight I'm going to put an end to this disgraceful legacy by wiping it from history."

Rosethorn bent down and chew through the stem of the rose. She stood up with it clasped in her jaws and without a look backwards headed for the pool.

"We have to stop her!" Brightstar shouted writhing furiously against her vines. "I won't let you get away with this."

"Give it up, Brightstar, she's won," Icefrost stated bitterly. "Accept your demise with some dignity."

But the fiery she-cat didn't listen. She struggled and snarled against her bonds as Rosethorn grew closer to the pool's surface. She couldn't believe this. As a matter of fact who could have ever guessed that a forbidden romance would have led to the complete annihilation of the Clans history?

She let a frustrated yowl of despair as she slumped her in defeat. This was it, she realized with a bitter notion. She had failed to protect her home, failed to save all her friends and the cats down below in the forest. Her throat stung as grief overwhelmed her and with a grim realization Brightstar wondered if this was how Cloudstorm had felt the day Amberheart had died, having absolutely now power in being able to save what meant most to him?

"Amberheart?" she called out softly to the medicine cat.

The cream colored cat raised her head slowly, eyes downcast. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry," the fiery cat uttered, surprising Amberheart as she focused her full attention on Brightstar. "I haven't been fair to you at all. All this time I kept pushing you away, refusing to let you help or talk to Cloudstorm despite how much I knew it hurt you. I caused all of this; it's my fault this is happening. I'm sorry for everything, you, Cloudstorm, all of it."

It shocked Amberheart to hear Brightstar so broken. This was a cat who from the moment she first met her had commanded a presence that demanded respect. Never in this lifetime would she have ever believed she see such a proud former leader so completely displaced and downcast.

"It's okay," she said softly, absolving Brightstar of her guilt. "I don't blame you for any of it. You were only doing what you thought was right. For what it's worth despite what Cloudstorm's feelings may have been towards you I forgive you."

Brightstar's ear perked up at Amberheart's words. Doing the best she could from her bonds Brightstar locked eyes with Amberheart and slowly dipped her towards to the medicine cat. Amberheart's eyes widened for a second before she returned the gesture, signifying the newly found peace between them.

Rosethorn finally came to the edge of pool, the blue light from the water casting her in a sinister glow. This was it. The history of the Clans was about to be extinguished. She leaned across the water and then proceeded to release the rose from her jaws.

Rosethorn suddenly paused as her ears picked up a sound. A raucous of noise was currently from the bushes before splitting open to reveal the form of two cats. One was a considerably large golden brown tabby with a glittering pelt that revealed him as a member of StarClan. The extremely small golden tom beside him though was what caused Rosethorn's eyes to widen in shock.

"I guess you were right, kit," Lionstar rasped to Goldenshine, surveying the scene before them. "Do I even want to know what's going on here?"

Brightstar stared at Lionstar in disbelief, finding it hard to believe he was actually. Her stupor lasted all of three seconds before remembering the dire situation they were in.

"Quick, stop her!" she shouted. "She's going to destroy everything."

Lionstar's and Goldenshine's attention snapped to Brightstar before glancing at Rosethorn hovering on the edge of the pool. Goldenshine's eyes widened at the rose in her mouth, but before he or Lionstar could do anything Rosethorn whipped her head and slung the rose into the water.

"You're too late!" she sneered before turning and running away into the woods.

Lionstar made motion to go after her, but stopped as a frightened yowl sounded from Goldenshine. His attention turned back to the pool and he felt his heart drop at the same moment. Just like a switch the light from the pool suddenly died, turning gray. A tremor suddenly shook the ground and like a creeping fog the deathly gray from the pool began to extend to the bank. The moment it touched land the color was sucked from the grass and before everyone's eyes it wilted.

The gray continued. Its reach spreading further along to the edge of the trees surrounding the clearing before sucking the color and life out of them in one fell swoop as they rotted and decayed before everyone's eyes. The trees seemed to deflate like the air had just began squeezed out of them, the leaves crumbling to dust and the branches turning stone black.

The gray washed across the clearing eliminating every shred of life as the cats watched frightened as the grass beneath their paws turned ash gray and the forest around them melted before their eyes. It was just as Rosethorn had predicted. StarClan was dying from the inside.

Goldenshine stood watching in shock as the beauty of the forest was ripped away with a savage swipe of this creeping gray sickness. His eyes trailed across the cats present before falling upon a still body. The shock hit harder as he realized it was Cloudstorm.

Lionstar quickly sped to Brightstar's side and proceeded to tear the vines binding her which had withered to gnarled roots. "What in the name of StarClan is going on? That she-cat, who was she?"

"It doesn't matter now, you were too late to stop her," Brightstar growled, leaning against Lionstar as she struggled to her paws. "We need to get out of here and warn the others. StarClan's rotting away."

"Weren't you listening," a low growl sounded as Brightstar and Lionstar turned to stare at Icefrost. "There's no escape. Not for us or all the cats of the forest below."

"What happened?" a hollow voice called from behind Icefrost, surprising the dark tom as he swiveled his head around to stare at Goldenshine.

He snorted, pushing himself to his paws as the withered vines around him ripped apart. "I don't suppose that you came here to help me?"

Goldenshine shook his head. "I couldn't go through with it, Icefrost. I couldn't take the life of an innocent kit. I needed to make everything right so I came here hoping that I could somehow stop you two and ran into him on my way," he motioned towards Lionstar.

"A lot of good it did you," Icefrost rasped. "It was all a lie, everything Rosethorn told you and me. Her true plan all along was to destroy everything. That plague of hers isn't just stopping with StarClan. It's going to wipe out the Dark Forest and entire forest below as well. If I had to guess that storm that's currently going on is about to get a lot worse. By daybreak the Clans will have perished, having all drowned or been crushed."

Goldenshine mouth gaped open in shock before the realization of what had happened fully hit him and he lowered his head in shame.

"It's all my fault," he whispered to himself.

"If it's anyone's to blame here, its Icefrost," Brightstar growled, hobbling closer on her own paws as Lionstar went to free Amberheart.

"So quick to place the blame on anyone but yourself, Brightstar," Icefrost snorted, glaring at the she-cat. "You're at just as much fault here as I am."

Brightstar opened her mouth to retort before a call from Amberheart silenced her.

"Arguing amongst ourselves isn't going to change anything," she spoke, climbing to her paws as Lionstar tore the last vines from her body. "We have to work together to find some way to fix all of this."

"Stupid she-cat didn't you hear me the first time? It's over!" Icefrost growled.

"Maybe not," Goldenshine said, his eyes falling upon the heart.

"What are you talking about?" Brightstar asked, watching as the golden tom slowly trotted over to the heart.

"It may just be a chance to revert the process," he spoke more to himself than anyone. "If we could find Rosethorn and interrogate her there may be some way to combat the plague and save everyone. It's a slim chance but at least we have one."

"And how do you suppose we track her down?" Brightstar asked skeptically. "She could be anywhere."

Goldenshine's paw fell upon the heart as he slowly toyed with the notion of what he was about to suggest. There was a big possibility it would be shot down, but it was a try anyway.

"Rosethorn's my mentor so I have an idea as to where she'd probably go. If anything she's fled back to the Dark Forest so as to be the final cat left to watch the collapsing of StarClan and the Dark Forest, but my knowledge of the forest's layout is poor. I'll need a Dark Forest cat to help guide me. I need you, Icefrost."

Icefrost glanced at him, surprise evident on his face and Brightstar glared at him like he was insane. "You can't be serious? You expect me to let Icefrost help save StarClan after he just tried so hard to destroy it?"

"Icefrost has just as much to lose as we all do, Brightstar," Goldenshine said. "I'd rather I didn't need his help either, but the fact remains that I need his knowledge of the Dark Forest's territory if I'm going to be able to track down Rosethorn."

"He has a point," Lionstar interjected much to Brightstar's displeasure.

The fiery she-cat grunted, glaring hatefully at the dark tom. "Well?" she demanded. "Are you going to help or not?"

Icefrost glanced at all their faces before letting out a humorless chuckle. "And just like that the fate of everyone's survival depends on me. How ironic. Fine then," he said, fixing Goldenshine under his cold stare. "I'll guide you, but only so that I can kill that traitorous she-cat. No one betrays me and gets away with it."

Goldenshine let out a sigh of relief at the first part of his plan going smoothly. But now, however, is where things were about to get harder.

"And now that that's been settled I have one final request. I want Cloudstorm to go with us."

Brightstar made a sound like she was choking and Amberheart looked at Goldenshine in surprise.

"Uh, I don't know how to tell you this, kit, but I'm pretty sure he's dead," Lionstar rasped, glancing over at Cloudstorm's body.

"I'm fully aware of that," Goldenshine stated without missing a beat. "However, we have the means of bringing him back," he spoke, keeping his paw firmly on the heart. "The only question's that's left is whether my old mentor is willing to do it."

The three StarClan's cats stared at each other in total bewilderment while Icefrost merely snorted in response.

"You're too soft for your own good," he said before turning to pad up the slope. "Hurry up will you? We don't have time to waste. She'll do it as long as you command it. The heart forces her to comply."

"I know," Goldenshine replied, channeling power into the heart as the body of his former mentor began to materialize. "But I'm leaving it up to her."

Leafbreeze blinked several times, trying to focus her eyes on the sudden new change of scenery that'd just been sprung on her. It'd been a while since she'd experienced the feeling of having her body pulled from one plain to the next, and she wasn't looking forward to wait it entailed seeing how disastrous things had gone for her the last time.

What she hadn't been expecting was the sight of two familiar faces, Brightstar and Amberheart. Confusion spread across her face. How? Was she in StarClan? Leafbreeze opened her mouth to ask what was going on before her eyes shifted across to a face that took her by even more surprise.

"Hello, Leafbreeze," Goldenshine greeted melancholy. "It's nice to see you again."

Her eyes widened. What was he doing here? What in the name of StarClan was happening?

"Where am I?" she asked, addressing Brightstar.

"StarClan," Brightstar replied. "And we're in a bit of a crisis at the moment."

Leafbreeze blinked in confusion. "Crisis? What's happening?"

"This isn't anytime to explain," Brightstar said. "Leafbreeze, we need your help."

Her ears perked at this. "My help?" she asked. "What can I possibly do?"

Goldenshine stepped forward suddenly. His eyes were casted down so as not to meet her eyes. He took a deep breath as if reestablishing his resolve before finally looking up to lock gazes with her.

"Cloudstorm's dead. We need you to use one of Nightstar's lives stored inside you to revive him."

The intense reaction of shock and outrage that flashed across Leafbreeze's face was enough to make Goldenshine want to bury his head in the ground. Anger, hatred, hurt, it was all there in her eyes. Without even realizing what he was saying Goldenshine began to talk, letting all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions he had bottled up this entire time finally flow free.

"You have every right to hate him and me, and you should. What we did was unforgivable…what I did was unforgivable. I'm sorry." he bowed his head to her, his voice heavy laden with anguish. "A single day hasn't gone by where I haven't regretted what happen that night, wishing more than anything else that I could take it back."

Goldenshine's body shook from the amount of over pouring of emotion, gripping the dirt tightly between his claws.

"I'm worse than scum." his said bitterly. "I should have never blamed you or StarClan for not being able to save my mother. StarClan wasn't the enemy. It was no one's fault – I just wanted somebody to blame. That's how the Dark Forest got to me; that's how Rosethorn found me. They gave me something to blame my own insecurities on and from there everything just spiraled out of control. I allowed them to control me and from there on I made the biggest mistake when I hurt you."

Leafbreeze stood there simply listening and watching as the golden tom poured his soul out to her. This was unexpected. Of all the things she'd expected to hear from Goldenshine, considering what had occurred the last time the two of them had been face to face, this had not been it.

Goldenshine did something that surprised Leafbreeze then. Reaching down, he took his paw and pushed her heart towards her. She could only stare at the gesture in surprise, completely unable to believe what he had just done.

"I won't force you to do anything you don't want to," he spoke softly, meeting her gaze evenly. "Everyone deserves to be able to control their own life and so I'm giving you yours back. Thanks to me and the actions of others the life we've all come to know is in jeopardy of being wiped out forever, and all I want now is a chance to fix those mistakes, fix my mistakes. You might not believe me, but there's good in Cloudstorm and I think he deserves a chance to redeem himself."

Goldenshine then dipped his head to Leafbreeze in respect, the proper respect that a cat who was his true mentor and had taught him so much deserved. He had a lot to atone for. Not just for what he'd done to Leafbreeze, but helping contribute to the fate that was currently befalling hundreds of innocents right now.

He didn't know what Leafbreeze's answer would be. With everything that he'd done to her, she had every right to say no and he wouldn't blame her if he did. It was only to be expected if she in fact did shoot down his proposal.

Leafbreeze stood stoically, staring at him silently. Her face was unreadable, not the slightest hint of emotion present. As the drawn out silence started to get to Goldenshine, Leafbreeze surprised him by walking forward and softly bumping her head against his.

"Hold your head high," she stated firmly. "I trained you to be a proud medicine cat and expect you to carry yourself as such."

A rush of joy flooded warmly through Goldenshine as he looked up to see Leafbreeze smiling. She didn't verbally need to say she forgave him. That speech alone was enough to tell him.

Leafbreeze looked behind Goldenshine to stare at the three StarClan cats.

"Tell me is there anything left redeemable in Cloudstorm?"

Amberheart cast a questioning look towards Brightstar who glanced at Lionstar. The golden brown tabby merely snorted. "Despite everything the mousebrain's done there was something about him that Hawkgaze ended up giving his life up trying to save. I don't know for sure, but the brief moment I observed him up closed I never once saw him as being evil. It was more so simply being misguided by grief."

"I've seen the good in Cloudstorm," Amberheart said. "I believe if we give him the chance he'll surprise all of us."

Finally everyone's attention turned to Brightstar. The fiery she-cat's eyes glanced at all the faces staring at her before giving a brisk nod.

"Do it," she rasped.

Leafbreeze nodded before turning around. She may not like the idea of helping to bring back the tom that had murdered her, but if Brightstar was willing to tolerate his help then so would she.

"Would you mind lending me a paw?" she asked Goldenshine.

Goldenshine nodded, bending down to pick up Leafbreeze's heart and padding after her. He carefully placed the heart down by Leafbreeze's side who stood examining Cloudstorm's battle-scarred body.

"I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work," Leafbreeze admitted. "And with how ravaged his body is there's no telling if he won't soon die again he's been revived."

"Please try anyway," Goldenshine asked. "If the process works the same way it does when a leader comes back to life than hopefully the wounds will heal enough where he's able to help."

Leafbreeze studied Goldenshine's face for a moment. "You seem to care an awful lot about Cloudstorm wellbeing. Why are you so eager to bring him back?"

Goldenshine met Leafbreeze's questioning stare before his gaze fell upon Cloudstorm. "I'm not entirely sure. It just doesn't feel like it deserves to end this way for him. It's hard to explain, but I have this feeling that he'll be able to help somehow."

Leafbreeze stared at him before nodding. "Let's hope you're right then."

She traced a paw along Cloudstorm's body before stopping near the tip of his nose. "Here," she whispered to herself, causing Goldenshine to glance questioningly at her.

"Place the heart on his chest." Leafbreeze said, not taking her eyes off Cloudstorm.

Not sure where Leafbreeze was going with this this Goldenshine grasped the heart between his jaws before placing it on Cloudstorm's chest. He took a step back and watched as Leafbreeze placed her paw over the heart. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly before leaning over to touch noses with Cloudstorm.

The process was almost instantaneous. A glow of energy began to emit from the heart, engulfing Leafbreeze and Cloudstorm both in a shower of exploding colors. Goldenshine shirked away unable to stand the intensity from the blinding light.

As the light finally started to recede Goldenshine opened his eyes to see Leafbreeze slowly stepping away from Cloudstorm's. She turned to him with an uncertain look on her face. Despair began to fill the golden tom before out the corner of his eye he caught the slightest twitch of motion from Cloudstorm's tail.

He sped over to the dark gray tom's side, watching his face closely and a leap of joy rushed through him as he saw one of his suddenly twitch. Slowly Cloudstorm's eyes opened. The gray tom's seemed unfocused, but the moment he caught sight of Goldenshine's gold pelt they immediately fixed upon him, strength flowing behind them.

It had worked. Cloudstorm was back.


	13. Chapter 12, Part 1: Oblivion: Part three

**A/N: Chapter twelve is officially finished. However, seeing as the original rough draft of this chapter exceeded twelve thousand words, I've split it (again) to lessen the reading length. Currently editing the next chapter as we speak! It will be up tomorrow.**

_**Chapter 12, Part One: Oblivion: Part three**_

_**End**_

_**Gray.**_

The ashen forest was oppressively suffocating. Every last tree was completely hollowed with death, the empty logs of corroded bark left standing a bitter reminder of what had once been verdant woodland. Each pillar of timber looked as unstable and fragile as an eggshell, ready to crumble to pieces at the slightest inclination, yet they all somehow remained standing. The forest floor, too, had become impoverished. The soil had become barren and sterile, cold to the touch, while the grass had dried and shriveled into withered flakes.

The putrid, rotting stench of festering decay and carrion stung my nose and throat as I stood in repulsed silence at the grim, sickly bland and desolate wasteland the _gray_ had wrought, extracting all remnants of life and color from the forest. The sky and its guardian glow of light had been obscured by an aphotic blanket of stark charcoal, drowning us all in a sea of darkness and making it impossible to tell whether it was dusk, dawn, or somewhere in between.

This was something that far out succeeded the faux illusions and artifice of a nightmare. Absolution was in the air. There was no other way I could describe it, but a sense of finality and death. It was immensely disconcerting to be faced with such a macabre reality, an offsetting chill that traveled from the tip of my nose, tickling my spine, to the base of my tail.

Was this the wrathful end of StarClan I had been clamoring for this entire time? This _gray_, this deteriorating sickness that leeched the life out of everything it came into contact with?

"Do you believe me now that this has to be stopped, Cloudstorm? We don't have time to waste. We must act now."

"And do what?" I demanded, whipping around to glower at Goldenshine. "Even if I was willing to help you, don't you see what's happened? This illness has probably already claimed half of StarClan by now. Do you really expect me to believe that _this _can be stopped?"

The instant I had opened my eyes I found myself in a distorted reality scarce of color and life. Subconsciously or maybe more so instinctively, my mind seemed to make peace with the idea that I had been sentenced to the deepest, vilest slums of the Dark Forest as punishment for my crimes against StarClan. I had been killed, right? So it would only make sense that my final resting place be in the darkest pits of the forsaken forest where I'd first plotted to destroy StarClan.

Then everything changed when my eyes zoned in on the glowing pelt of a familiar tom. If I thought he was a hallucination than those thoughts vanished when his brown irises locked onto my amber ones. My sight sharpened and I realized that he truly was here.

"Goldenshine?" I croaked groggily.

His face split into a grin and with fervor of emotion that wasn't customary of him, said warmly, "Welcome back."

Welcome back? What did he mean? Had I missed something here? Deciding I'd have an easier time of questioning Goldenshine from a standing position, I made to climb to my paws.

Ignoring a yowl of protest from Goldenshine not to be so hasty to get up, I struggled to my paws, grunting slightly from the exertion and soreness of my muscles straining. Before I could barely even get my paws set beneath me all the breath was systematically knocked out of my lungs as a blur of cream fur came barreling into my chest.

"You're back!" Amberheart's muffled cry sang into my fur. "It really worked, you're alive."

My fur spiked as a jolt of surprise rippled across my skin. Amberheart was here too? Then did that mean I was in StarClan? How was that still possible if I was dead, though? Surely I, of all cats, deserved the Dark Forest, right?

My confusion lasted for all of two seconds before I was overcome by a great wave of passion and pressed my muzzle against the top of her head, burying my nose into her fur and drinking in her sweet lavender scent while relishing in the feel of her body against mine. I wasn't sure how this was possible right now, but the warmth of her skin against mine was enough to tell me that she was real.

**I never want this moment to end,** I thought fiercely, feeling the rumble of her purr reverberate through my body, vibrating off of my bones.

My ears perked as I heard Goldenshine give a nervous cough. "Uh, Cloudstorm, I don't want to interrupt your tender reunion, but we need your help."

**We?**

I brought my gaze from Amberheart to stare at him. "What are you-" The words died in my throat as my eyes made contact with the toriseshell she-cat at his side. "_Leafbreeze_?" I couldn't believe it. "How?" I gaped in astonishment. My gaze wandered around the bleak clearing, my eyes widening wider as I saw Brightstar and the brown tabby that had confronted me early in the forest by her side.

I took a weary step back, my fur standing on end at the sudden appearance of all these cats, all these past adversaries. I looked to Amberheart for some source of understanding and reassurance before reeling back in shock at the dried blood crusting on her face.

"Who did this to you?" I demanded as my blood boiled at the sight of the long cut trailing down her face. "What's going on here?" I snarled at Brightstar. "What are you doing here?" I whipped my head towards Goldenshine. "Better yet, where is here? Somebody better start explaining things now and fast!"

"Is he always this mouthy?" Leafbreeze huffed to Goldenshine, looking mildly irritated.

Goldenshine shot an exasperated glance towards Leafbreeze, a tiered smile playing on his face before focusing his attention towards me. "I guess we'll start with what happened before we resurrected you."

I seemed to go deaf in one ear, tilting my head to side, looking at Goldenshine incredulously. "_**What**_?"

"Just listen," he placated. "We're not in a position to waste any more time."

Thanks in part to the efforts of Goldenshine and Leafbreeze; I had apparently been miraculously resurrected from the dead. **I had actually been given a second chance at life**. If that knowledge wasn't surreal enough to send my head reeling, it appeared that past enemies were now working together and the very existence of the Clans was now being threatened thanks to the surreptitious acts of Rosethorn's madness.

What seemed to only augment the dire of the situation was the startling knowledge that Rosethorn had used my blood to cause all of it.

_**Fault?**_

How was I supposed to feel about this? _My blood_, it was my blood that Rosethorn had used to sentence the Clans to death. My desire for vengeance had led her to choose me as the one suitable for the fuel needed to create the disease that had rotted StarClan from the inside out.

I couldn't begin to fathom the number of times I'd reiterated my want to personally be involved in the destruction of StarClan, but this escalated things beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Rosethorn wasn't stopping at just StarClan. No, she wanted everything gone, abolished from the earliest traces of history. And she'd managed to achieve all of this from the shadows, playing both sides of StarClan and the Dark Forest like the oblivious pawns we were.

Goldenshine had prattled on about how we had to combine our forces if there was any chance of reversing this degeneration, but seeing the effects of what had occurred during my death, however; I wasn't convinced there was a way to reverse this. What could we do? Honestly, what chance did we have of stopping this?

"So you're saying you're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Brightstar demanded, marching up into my face, petulant and determined.

A growl rumbled in the back of my throat as I narrowed my eyes to slits. "I'm saying I don't see any point in trying when it's clear nearly all of StarClan has already succumbed to this _gray_."

"Don't you understand that if StarClan falls the Clans will suffer a similar fate and be annihilated by the storm?" Brightstar snapped. "Why do you think we tried so hard to stop you and the Dark Forest? StarClan is the very foundation upon which the Clans depend and survive on. It's what keeps their reality in check and holds it stable. If it were to fall the world as the Clans know it will as well. Regardless of how you feel towards StarClan, there's a forest full of cats below who don't deserve to have their lives unjustly taken away."

I snorted contemptuously. "You're one to talk about unjustly taking lives away."

"As are you!" she shot back. "By my recollection innocent cats have died by your claws as well. How justified is _that_?"

I froze, momentarily stunned by the seething remark, feeling my heart lurch in surprise. I had killed innocent cats… I had personally taken the lives of others, and for what? **Because I had been ordered by Icefrost to do so**, was my mind's initial reply before I realized just how petty and hollow that sounded.

I averted my gaze from Brightstar to cast a sidelong glance at Leafbreeze. Why had I killed her? With how everything had turned out, what reason did I have to justify killing her, Buzzardflight or Berrypaw? My body seemed to sag low and heavy to the ground, weighed down morosely by the bitter realization that I had become just the thing that I had fought so hard and yowled to the heavens that I was not: a pawn.

What I thought was me doing what was needed to achieve my goal of one day getting a chance to sink my claws into the pelt of Brightstar was Rosethorn toying and playing with my mind and emotions, all the while in control of everything even when I believed I held power over her.

My heart gave a lurch as an image of Hawkgaze flashed across my eyes, and I suddenly felt ill. He had died for nothing. They had all died for nothing. The reality of those words echoed hollowly throughout my body.

"Stop it!" Amberheart implored, coming between the two of us. "Arguing isn't going to solve anything here. We need to work together and there's going to be any hope of saving everything."

Her words of teamwork fell on deaf ears though, as I swooned slightly on my paws, oblivious to everything around me except the suffocating weight of the truth behind the last couple moons of my life. Nothing, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Nothing, _nothing_, **nothing**.

I stared dazedly at Leafbreeze, my mind caught in an overwhelming stupor of the truth. "Nothing," I squeezed out, catching her attention and making the others fall silent as I took an unsure step towards her. "Everything, it was all for nothing. Your death, it was all for nothing but death and more death."

Leafbreeze's eyes hardened, flaring with a steely type of coldness that seared my pelt with unbridled loathing and abhorrence that saw me as nothing more than a ghastly abomination undeserving of life. And she had done just that, I realized. She had given me life. Me, the very same cat that had spat, mocked, and ridiculed her, the monster that had killed her.

Why? It didn't make sense.

"Why did you do it?" I rasped, thirsty for the answer. "You died for nothing. I-" the words caught in my throat. "I killed you for a sinister truth that even I wasn't aware of. You can't get that back like I just have. You're not even a whole cat in death for what I did." I motioned towards the heart by her paws, noticing it for the first time. "So why?" I pressed imploringly. "Why would you help revive me, bring me back from the clutches of death? You have every right not to. I'm nothing more than a monster as you once called me. Why would you agree to give life to the same cat that took your own?"

I stared into her hate filled eyes broken and lost. I had nothing left to draw off of. No anger, no hatred to fuel my actions or fulfill my motives, no one to direct my blame at. I felt drained, more tiered and putout than I'd ever been in my life.

Goldenshine cast a timid, fleeting glance at Leafbreeze's stoic face, shifting uncomfortably on his paws at the building tension. He opened his mouth to possibly answer for her when Leafbreeze shot him a sharp glare, halting his words before they even managed to creep from the recesses of his throat. Even in death she still held that superior aura of a seasoned mentor over the lithe tom.

She turned back to meet my questioning stare, the hatred for me ever present in her amber eyes. "Don't mistake your resurrection for something other than what it was," she said tightly. "If it had been up to me you would've remained dead where you no longer be a threat towards anyone; but the others here, most importantly Goldenshine, thought that you deserved a chance to redeem yourself. And I still don't agree with his choice," she growled briskly, causing Goldenshine to wince. "Someone like you has too much sin to atone for. And no matter all the good deeds you could do from here on out wouldn't convince me otherwise that you're not the monster that you've made yourself out to be. And from what I've seen from you tonight, it looks like we can add coward to that list."

"Coward?" Amberheart gasped. "Leafbreeze that's not fair!"

Leafbreeze snorted derivesly. "Fair, you say? Was it fair that I had to die for some fabricated goal that's gone and blown up in your mate's face?" she sneered at Amberheart. "And yes, he is a coward. Now that the roles have been switched, he's lost his nerve to do anything about the mess he's helped cause." She shot a rueful glare my way. "What a pitiful excuse for a cat you've become, Cloudstorm. What happened to that arrogant tom that vehemently told me I was a brainwashed puppet and forced me into tricking my former leader into giving up all her lives? Where's that tom, huh, Cloudstorm? Where's the same cat that once uttered, '_don't worry though, Leafbreeze,'_" she dropped her voice into a mocking tone, glaring at me spitefully. "_It won't be all bad. In the end you'll see that everything I've done was for the benefit and bettering of the Clans and everyone else. I promise you that."_

I flinched at the mocking rendition of my own words, dropping my head in shame. How quickly something I'd said with the utmost confidence could then be taken and thrown back in my face, augmenting my guilt and sense of worthlessness even more. I'd sat there and took Leafbreeze's relentless berating, deserving every last ounce of her hate speech. I had become the ultimate walking contradiction and there wasn't a thing I could say in my defense.

What a fool I'd been. Everything seemed so dark and empty now, like a dry canyon with a shadowed abyss for the bottom. I had helped sentence a forest of innocent cats to death, the same cats I'd claimed I was fighting for in the first place. I was everything that Leafbreeze had claimed me to be. A monster and a coward, hah, what an ironic combination I'd turned out to be.

"Cloudstorm," a firm voice spoke amicably.

I raised my heavy, downtrodden head to meet Goldenshine's fervor filled brown irises, glowing brightly in the dark. What did he want? Was he here to finish up his mentor's fire fueled assault against my near nonexistent hubris?

"I know how you feel," he spoke calmly. "The pain, the complete feeling of utter worthlessness and self-pity, I know it well. I know what you're thinking, the feeling and knowledge of knowing the part you've played in this destruction. I played my part just as you have and I regret everything I've done to help cause," he said, the soothing tone of his voice seeming to having some appeasing effect on me. "You could've stopped it that day, you know? The day when you had Rosethorn beneath your paws, powerless and helpless to do anything to stop you, you could've killed her then. You were going to kill then. But I," he chuckled bitterly, "No, I persuaded you not to, told you that she was necessary to our goals coming to fruition."

"That day I unknowingly sentenced the Clans to death and I regret it now more than you'll ever know. I regret ever allowing myself to fall into the Dark Forest's ploy. I'm not saying I agree with all their methods, but StarClan isn't deserving of this fate. Are there things that need to be changed? Absolutely, but if we're really expected to bring about that great change in StarClan, but more importantly in the forest, we need to start now by working together and stopping Rosethorn."

"Besides, you owe me," he joked, nudging me in the shoulder. "You said so yourself that somehow someway that you would repay me. Well I'm calling in on that favor now. Help me rectify our mistakes and stop this madness from engulfing us all."

Our gazes locked, his strong glowing brown one with my amber one as the intensity of his words traveled circles around my head. I tilted my head to the side, eyeing the golden tom and reveling in how much he'd grown in strength from that timid, stumbling tom of what felt like hundreds of moons ago. Where had this inner fire come from, the sudden courage to go out and save the world?

Goldenshine had come a long way, traveled and traversed a path darker than any other one of us and managed to find the light. If he had the heart to stare his own mistakes in the face and the inner strength to go out and try to fix them then couldn't I?

"_You still have a chance to make things right!"_

My ears rang with Hawkgaze's words and I in turn met and returned Goldenshine's vivacious gaze with my own, feeling a surge and wealth of energy suddenly course through my veins, igniting my spirit. **No cat deserved to have their life striped away unfairly from them**, the familiar words roared, echoing throughout my body.** I didn't just sit back and watch Clan cats suffer. I was going to do something! I was going to help! I was going to take action!**

I gave Goldenshine a brisk nod. "Let's do it."

"Well, I'm glad that's settled then," a cold voice washed over us, "Because the severity of our problems has just increased."

A spark of anger flared up in my body at the appearance of Icefrost, who had somehow managed to sneak up on us, before suddenly dying in that same instant.

"What- what's happening to you?" Goldenshine gasped, his eyes etched wide in horror.

I wasn't that far off from sharing his sentiments, staring at the appearance of the former gray and black stripped tom. No, he was gray; Icefrost had always been gray, but not at this degree, this sickly dead color. Starting at his paws and having traveled all the way up to his underbelly and the tips of his chest, Icefrost's body had been overshadowed by the grim lifelessness of the _gray_. It would only be a matter of time before it fully enveloped his body, and if the desolate trees around us were any indicator, he wasn't much longer for this afterlife.

The dark tom's blue eyes were smothered in pain as he stiffly padded closer to us, grunting gruffly as if each step weighed him down. "We don't have any more time to waste!" he snarled coarsely. "If we don't act now all the cats' resident of this realm will suffer the same fate as the forest!"

I and Goldenshine quickly checked our own bodies for traces of the gray disease, sighing in relief when we discovered we hadn't been affected. Was it possible that the _gray's_ influence didn't reach to cats of the living? And then my ears rang with Icefrost's words of, _'Cats resident of this realm,' _and my blood turned cold.

No. I was almost too petrified to look before slowly trailing my eyes over the other dead cats. It appeared Brightstar, Lionstar, and Leafbreeze had caught on quicker than I did as they all then glanced down in horror to see the early signs of the _gray's_ influence having already overtaken their paws, slowly making its ascent up their forelegs. I noticed with a start that the _gray_ had failed to claim Leafbreeze's heart though, it still residing by her paws, untouched and beating.

With a pang in my heart of not wanting my fears confirmed, I turned to Amberheart. I blanched as a tremor of dread rippled across my body, standing my fur on end, at the sight of the _gray_ having claimed nearly half of Amberheart's body.

Her frightened eyes met my crestfallen ones and I knew then, now more than ever, that I had to stop this. I had lost her once. It would never happen again.

"I want you to go and round up the others cats and warn them about what's happening," I said quickly, turning to Brightstar. "StarClan and Dark Forest both."

"Dark Forest cats?" Brightstar said incredulously, beginning to argue. "Are you –"

"No, he's right," Lionstar cut her off. "No cat, no matter their past deeds or allegiance deserves a fate like this. We'll gather as many of them as we can get to believe us in the hollow and tell them what's currently happening. From there it's up to you, kit."

I nodded to him, turning back to Amberheart to speak softly, "I want you to go with them."

"What?" she began to protest. "Cloudstorm, no, I'm coming with you."

I shook my head, staring into her eyes to make her understand the dire of the situation. "I can't put you in that kind of danger. Well, no more than I've already caused upon you. Wait for me at the hollow and I'll be back soon."

"No!" she argued, stomping a paw angrily. "I won't let you go into anymore danger alone, especially not with him," she snarled towards Icefrost.

I licked her cheek reassuringly, whispering soothingly into her ear. "Don't worry; Goldenshine will be by my side. Between the two of us there's not much trouble Icefrost can cause."

Amberheart pressed against me, trembling. "What if something happens to you," she said morosely. "That she-cat is dangerous, Cloudstorm. What if she does something to you, what if-," her voice cracked. "I just got you back when I thought you gone. I couldn't bear the pain again if you were to…."

I pressed closer into her, closing my eyes and inhaling her scent one last time. "I promise I'll make it back," I swore to her. "And I'll fix this. Somehow someway, I'll save everyone."

Painfully, I pulled away from Amberheart, drinking in her beautiful image one last time before turning to Goldenshine.

"Are you ready?"

He gave a grim nod, eyes flashing with burning determination. I turned my attention towards Icefrost, resisting the urge to snarl at the dark tom. I hadn't forgotten that he was the reason that I had needed to be revived from the dead in the first place. For now though, we needed his help.

"Lead the way," I growled.

I thought it was physically impossible for the Dark Forest to look anymore sparse and bleak then it already was, but as we crossed through the fog barrier into the Place of No Stars, I was proven wrong. The _gray's_ influence had already reached even here.

_**Death.**_

The air reeked of it, swallowing us up in a pungent, overpowering scent of decaying infestation that seeped into my fur. The gnarled trees that had once towered high above, obscuring the sky from view, had been eaten and eroded away, the only thing left in their place empty hollow husks. The ground was littered with the remnants of the tall grass, brittle pale stalks that disintegrated to dust at the slightest touch.

We stood upon a ravaged, cold, miserable looking land polluted by the smell of sickness, fear, and death with a near pitch blackness that seemed to echo hauntingly with the frightened mewl of kits and the tortured and dying wails of agonized cats as we stumbled around nearly blind through the forest.

"We'll this is where you earn your keep," I growled at Icefrost. "Lead us to Rosethorn."

"Certainly," the dark tom replied snidely, his fangs flashing in the dark. "However, it is excessively difficult to find someone when I don't first know where they're at." He turned to Goldenshine. "You're her ex-apprentice. Where is she?"

Goldenshine took a deep breath of the air and immediately recoiled back as if he'd been clawed in the face, wheezing and coughing. I came to his side, touching my nose to his flank and blinking in shock as I saw flecks of blood splattered across the ground.

"We can't stay here much longer," he wheezed painfully. "The air isn't safe for any of us to breathe for much longer."

This wasn't good. The environment had deteriorated to the point where now the air was hazardous to even us living cats.

"Do you know where Rosethorn is or not?" Icefrost demanded, ignoring Goldenshine's coughing fit and earning a glare from me. "Is it her thorn forest?"

The golden tom wheezed horribly, a rattling noise coming from his throat that I didn't like the sound of. "No, she's not there," Goldenshine coughed. "I know her too well by now. She'd want to be somewhere where she could enjoy the destruction of the Clans. The pool," he wheezed. "The dark pool, that's where she is."

Icefrost whipped around without another word, setting off in a romp headed north.

"Come on!" I nudged Goldenshine with my nose. "We lose sight of him and we're stranded here."

We followed closely behind Icefrost, tailing after his quickly fleeting form as he twist and turned over the ravaged, bog ridden forest, the ground sinking in at unexpected intervals as we traversed. The further in we seemed to draw, the viler and oppressive the air seemed to become.

I was starting to have trouble breathing. The pressure from the increasingly thicker climate was disrupting my ability to naturally draw in and out breaths. It was becoming a strenuous battle just to direct air in and out of my mouth, having quit earlier trying piteously to breathe out of my nose.

Goldenshine wasn't any better off. His once bright golden fur was now dull and listless, the rattling hiss of his breathing become worser by the second. The dying land had taken a more deleterious toll to his body than mine, but none more so than it had to Icefrost.

By now almost half of Icefrost's body had succumb to the _gray_. His gate had started to become agonizingly slower, almost as if he was trying to wade his way through mud. Although, he may have been his hardest to hide the pain from us, there was no way of shielding the pure tortured look of anguish in his eyes.

"How-how much farther?" I huffed, struggling to control my breathing.

Icefrost gritted his teeth, digging his pale paws deep into the ground as we trudged on. "We're getting close," he answered in a tight voice, his eyes not flickering from the path ahead.

A stab of frustration invaded my mind. "And how close is that? We're not in a position for you to be taking detours, you know."

Icefrost suddenly halted, whipping around to growl at me, mere inches from my face. "Listen here, and listen well," he snarled, his stale breath burning my nostrils. "I could care less about your little change of heart or what happens to your mate and StarClan. I'm only here for one cat, _me. _Whether you find a way to save everyone or not is of no concern to me. I'm here to kill that traitorous she-cat, nothing more. And if you get in my way at any point I won't hesitate to kill you a second time."

I unsheathed my claws, staring challengingly into his face. "I'd like to see you try it," I snarled. I had no qualms about taking Icefrost on now that I was fully able to move. He wouldn't be beating up on a defenseless cat this time. Icefrost returned the gesture, unsheathing his claws as well and I braced myself for battle.

"Quiet!" Goldenshine shouted, snapping the two of us out of our face off. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" I asked. "What is it?"

Not answering, Goldenshine bent his head mere inches from the ground, eyes wide, listening intently. I couldn't tell what it was he was sensing, but the moment his head whipped up, eyes flashing in panic, I knew we were in deep trouble.

"She's on to us. She knows we're here!" Goldenshine shouted, before suddenly jumping back.

And just in time too as the ground split open and out came lashing a vine adorned with hooked thorns, whipping out to the spot he had only been moments ago.

"Move!" Icefrost ordered, avoiding a lashing vine that suddenly erupted from the ground. "This way!"

I sidestepped a cluster of vines snipping at my paws and fled after Icefrost, Goldenshine tailing closely behind me. As if someone had lit fire to the ground, the earth suddenly became ablaze with life as the long, brown tendrils of vines exploded from the earth, slashing and whipping at us from all sides and every possible angle.

"_**Did you honestly think it would be that easy?"**_ a familiar voice cackled inside my head, as a wall of vines shot out of the ground to block the way.

The vines shot out, arcing through the air towards us. Out the corner of my eye I saw Goldenshine hesitate to move and had to shove him out the way just as a stray vine stabbed out to strike. I winced in pain as the vine struck out and cut me alongside the flank.

Icefrost bit down and ripped off a vine that had tried to slither and latch onto his paw, his blue eyes blazing pools of fury as he reared up on his hind legs, slashing at the tendrils. I jumped out of the way of a particular large, spearing vine equipped with gleaming thorns and pressed close to Goldenshine's side as we combined forces to bat it away.

There seemed to be no end to the onslaught frenzy, the engorged vines striking out like vipers and tearing through my flesh with their serrated thorns. From my side I heard a shriek of surprise from Goldenshine as his back legs were being ensnared by vines, pulling him down to the ground.

Blood pounding in my ears with ferment racing through my body, I lunged on top of the vines pinning Goldenshine and began to claw and tear into them.

"Leave him! He's only dead weight!" Icefrost snarled from over his shoulder, a tendril of vine hanging from his jaws. "He'll only get you killed. _Again._"

I ignored Icefrost's jeering, channeling my energy to continue battling the vines. I didn't care what he said. He was insane if he thought I'd actually leave Goldenshine behind. As far as I was concerned, Goldenshine was worth ten of him.

"_**He's right, you know?"**_ Rosethorn's snide voice rang in my ears. _**"There's nothing stopping you from escaping the vines if you leave Goldenshine to embrace his demise. He's only hindering you."**_

"If you believe that then you've truly failed to glimpse the true potential of your own apprentice," I growled, slashing the last treads of vines from Goldenshine's legs and helping nudge him to his paws. "I'm coming for you, Rosethorn!" I growled vehemently into the empty air. "And there isn't a thing you can do or create an army of vines big enough to stop us."

"_**Is that so?" **_Rosethorn's voice mused crowingly.

The frenzy of vines suddenly halted. We stared in surprise at the hundreds of vines that lay frozen in mid-air. Then, as if being called back like a dog by its twoleg owner, the vines receded back into the earth, the splits in the ground sealing up behind them, vanishing evanescent, as if they'd never been there in the first place.

"_**I await your arrivals," **_Rosethorn's voice reverberated through the air._** "Don't keep me waiting, boys."**_

The final words hung ominously in the air, percolating consternation into the very marrow of my bones. Goldenshine stood silent besides me, his face sharing a morose expression. He knew just as well as I did of what awaited us.

Icefrost reached in between his claws and spat out the lingering residue of a piece of vine that had been lodge there, his fur sparking in disconcert. Even Icefrost, the dark tom himself, couldn't hide the unease that rippled across his pelt at the subliminal taunt of Rosethorn's invitation.

If she was so willing to call off her vines and allow us to proceed, what real chance did we have of actually succeeding? Was there the glaring possibility that she knew we were here on a fool's errand, and knew there was no way of reversing the effects of the _gray_?

"Well, we've come this far," Goldenshine spoke up, seeming to sense the inner discord brewing within me. "We might as well see it through to the end."

I nodded once, trying to share in his stray spark of encouragement. "Right."

Icefrost snorted derisively, eyeing me and Goldenshine with unconcealed contempt. "For two cats still of the living, you'd best take heed of a cat who's had several hundred moons of idle time observing the world as it passes by," he said darkly. "Those are the final words of a cat walking to their _death_."


	14. Chapter 12, Part 2: Oblivion: Part three

**A/N: A day late, but here it is. What I want to say is at the end. We've waited long enough for this, let's finish it.**

_**Chapter 12, Part Two: Oblivion: Part three**_

_**End**_

We traveled in silence from then on. Each of us lost in our thought. The uncertainty of what awaited when we finally confronted Rosethorn was plaguing my thoughts with disastrous outcomes. What if there wasn't a way to stop the _gray_ and save everyone? I would have doomed an entire forest of cats to death.

But for one reason or another, I couldn't force myself to feel sympathy for the cats of the Dark Forest or especially StarClan. No matter how brief it may have been, they'd already gone and had their chance to experience life. For them, dying wouldn't be as catastrophic as it would for those still of the living.

Maybe it was just the inner pessimist in me continuing to poke and inflame one of those old wounds that refused to heal. Try as I might there was no true forgiveness in my heart towards the starry pelted cats; I doubt there was any in their hearts for me. And I felt it would only prove fruitless and dishonest to evoke a feeling I didn't share.

_**Amberheart.**_

This was all for her. Just when I'd thought she was gone from my life forever, there she'd appeared in StarClan. Without even realizing it all the hate, rage, and anger had left me. The feeling of seeing her again, being able to touch and have her near again can't be summed up in words. Nothing would ever be able to do it justice.

Step by step, for what seemed like several foxlengths, we traversed the desolate landscape. With every pawstep we drew ever so closer to our intended destination and the ever lurking force of uncertainty. That seemed to be the worse part of it. Not knowing what awaited us when we were finally face to face with Rosethorn. Was there a chance? Could we do it?

Finally, we padded into a flush of foliage that hadn't yet been touched by the _gray_. With a flash of recognition, I saw that this was the path that led to the dark pool. We were maybe a few pawsteps back from being to see it.

I saw Icefrost's body tense. The dark tom lowered himself into a low crouch and slowly crept forward. From his crouching position I noticed with a start that nearly all of his body had been taken over the _gray_. From the neck down Icefrost's entire body was nothing more than a sickly ash.

"There's no point in sulking around in the darkness," Rosethorn's voice called out. "Why don't you three come out and witness the end with me."

Icefrost's snarled at having been flushed out so easily and barged into the clearing. Goldenshine and I shot each other a look before warily following.

Everything was just the same since last I'd been here before we'd crossed over into StarClan. Completely overrun with a dense verdure of bracken and thorn bushes while overheard loomed the coal black and ancient trees with low overhanging branches that preyed over us like the awaiting claws of death. And directly in the center of it all lay the dark pool and directly beside it…Rosethorn.

Her eyes followed us as we stepped into sight, the sottish madness glistening in her green gaze, clear and apparent. Her white pelt was pure and spotless, still free and devoid of the ashen color of Icefrost's pelt as the _gray's _power had failed to yet descend here,emitting a ghostly radiance that gleamed in the darkness.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't looking at you with my own eyes," Rosethorn spoke, her gaze locking onto me. "You're alive," she stated matter-of-factly. "Not some deceased spirit wandering around, but a blood racing, heart pounding being." The madness dimmed from her eyes as she tipped her head to one side critically. "Don't tell me you've gone and discovered the secret to cheating death? I highly doubt it was the work of that sad excuse for a medicine cat over there."

Out the corner of my eye I saw Goldenshine wince slightly at the barb from his former mentor as Rosethorn's eyes suddenly shifted over to Icefrost, sparking inquisitively. "Oh!" she purred in delight, avidly drinking in his near ashen form. "Why, Icefrost, I hardly recognized you. It doesn't appear you've got much time left with us, do you?"

Before either I or Goldenshine could register what was going on, a feral yowl split the air as Icefrost made a sudden bound for Rosethorn. I realized seconds after he shot off what he intended to do. That Mousebrain! I charged after him, knowing I had to stop him before he managed to get his claws on Rosethorn. We hadn't even questioned her yet. Allowing her to get killed now went our only possible chance at stopping the _gray_!

I chased after Icefrost, but he had pulled several lengths ahead of me, closing in on Rosethorn's stationary form quick. Why wasn't that crazy she-cat trying to move? She just stood there, watching Icefrost draw in closer with an expectant, almost bored, expression upon her face.

"No, Cloudstorm, stop!" Goldenshine's panic-stricken voice shouted from behind me."

Stop? Was he crazy? If I didn't stop Icefrost now everyone in the forest would die. Amberheart would die! I powered forward, closing in fast behind Icefrost. His hind legs were just within my reach, but as I lashed a paw out to snag one of his legs a heavy weight suddenly slammed into my back, dragging me down to the ground.

I groaned, having had the breath knocked clear of my lungs. What had hit me? I glanced over my shoulder to gape in surprise at Goldenshine leering over me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, shouting up at him. "Icefrost's about to kill Rose-!"

A strangled cry pierced the air, drowning out my voice and causing my fur to stand on end. I whipped my head around to the sound and could only stare in shock at the scene before me. Vines, long and equipped with hooked thorns, had ensnared Icefrost's entire body, leaving just his head free mere inches away from Rosethorn's face. The vines were oozing crimson and it took me a moment to realize that it was Icefrost's blood.

I felt my breathe catch in my throat, my mind suddenly coming to grips with the fact that that could've just as easily been me as well.

"I felt it just before it happened," Goldenshine said gravely, watching Icefrost's peril. "There…there was a slight shift in the feel of the soil, like something was stirring. And I knew-I knew then what was going to happen."

We could only look on as the vines twisted and tightened over Icefrost, causing the dark warrior to continue crying out in pain. The sound was disconcerting, the image itself only augmenting horror of the situation. Blood seeped from the vines as more began to pool from Icefrost's nose and mouth, staining them scarlet. The dark tom growled weakly at Rosethorn, his eyes burning with an unfathomable depth of hatred for the cat standing before him.

"I've always held a great distaste for cats like you, Icefrost," Rosethorn began slowly, glaring spitefully at the dark tom. "Oppressive, weak minded individuals who believe they're the answer to what's ailing the world. Who believe that only under their watchful eye and power can everyone prosper and survive." Rosethorn giggled madly before turning away to stare into the depths of the dark pool. "Cats like you never cease to existence," she said softly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You torture others in life, unjustly judging them and then punishing them for being different. And then-"

There was a slight tremor in her voice as Rosethorn trailed off. What was I witnessing? I looked to Goldenshine for a confirmation of that was going on, but when I turned I saw that his attention was fully absorbed in on Rosethorn.

"And then!" Rosethorn snarled, suddenly whipping around, eyes livid. "Then, those cats think that in death they'll finally be rid of cats like you! That with their death the pain and suffocating oppression that the world has saw fit to befall them will vanish. But no," Rosethorn sneered, hate burning in her green eyes as they swept over everyone. "No, if anything, the pain only worsens in death." At the word death, Icefrost emitted another anguished cry as the vines constricted tighter, the thorns piercing even deeper into his flesh.

Rosethorn watched his suffering with cold eyes, eyes that burned deep with an emotion I myself was very familiar with. But it was an emotion that I never thought in a hundred moons I'd witness on her face. Something I don't think any cat was ever meant to see and she kept hidden in the deepest, darkest recess of her heart. _Pain._

It was there, dominating the madness in her eyes before being snuffed out just as quickly. If I didn't know the emotion so well I probably would've never detected it in the first. But that fleeting betrayal of some emotion other than madness in Rosethorn's eyes left many unanswered questions and posed an even more interesting one. What great tragedy had led her to become the crazed she-cat I now saw standing in front of me?

"There's only one solution for stomping out cats like Icefrost," Rosethorn said darkly, the madness in her eyes blazing full force now, grinning wickedly. "They need to be weeded out and wiped completely from history…sort of like now!"

The affect was instantaneous. It happened before any of us had time to react. Icefrost never even had a chance to cry out. That same instance the vines constricted around Icefrost's throat, making his eyes bulge out, squeezing the tom until he suddenly exploded into a cloud of shadows. The shadows descended into the air before evaporating into nothingness, the last of Icefrost's essence dissipating without a trace.

And just like that he was gone. No climatic final battle to the death; no final plea for Clan domination. Icefrost had been erased from existence and claimed by oblivion. There wasn't anything time to dwell on the extinct tom, however; I and Goldenshine had more pressing matters to deal with concerning Rosethorn, the she-cat having just turned her mad gaze on us.

We both tensed, expecting her to do the same to us as she had with Icefrost, attacking with vines. What she said next though, left us both gaping in surprise.

"There's only one reason why you two would be stupid enough to be here instead of in the world of the living, trying to get as far away possible from the forest," Rosethorn meowed, knowingly. "You think there's a way to reverse this?"

I and Goldenshine exchanged astonished looks. So she already knew then.

A giggle rose from Rosethorn as our startled faces confirmed her suspicious. "Don't look so surprised, I would expect some kind of action like this out of Goldenshine. But you, Cloudstorm," she fixed her gaze on me. "You're the last cat I would've expected to put his pelt on the line for StarClan. Where's that burning flare of hate that usually resides in your eyes? It's gone."

I narrowed my eyes at Rosethorn. "I'm not here for StarClan. My concern lies for the cats of the Clans currently at the mercy of the storm your disease created."

Rosethorn tilted her to the side whimsically, green eyes sparkling madly. "That's not all though; is it?" she inquired loftily. "You held a certain fondness for ThunderClan out of old nostalgia, but I've seen your mind before, Cloudstorm, toyed with your emotions and heart. You wouldn't do this just to save a forest full of waterlogged cats. No," she murmured in a soft undertone, slowly padding across the clearing towards us.

I felt Goldenshine tense at my side, but I held my ground never taking my eyes off of the white she-cat. Rosethorn drew even closely until our faces were barely mere inches away from each other, her face blank and curious. Being this up close to Rosethorn left me feeling somehow vulnerable, remembering back to the time where she'd tortured me from inside my own mind. What's what stopping her from doing that very same thing now?

It was for the first time that I realized how very beautiful the white medicine cat actually was. Now that her face wasn't twisted in some cruel fashion, I realized that Rosethorn would've been a very lauded after cat in her time if it wasn't for the fact she was a medicine cat.

"It's _her_." Rosethorn's voice suddenly spoke bitterly, surprising me by the pure intensity of emotion behind it. For a second I thought I actually saw a flash of hurt pass across her eyes. "It's because of her that you're doing this, that RiverClan water rat."

"Watch your mouth about Amberheart!" I snarled, baring my fangs.

"So I'm right then," Rosethorn taunted. "Even now she has you curled around her tail like a blind kit, having you risk your own life to save her meaningless one."

"Cloudstorm came here of his own accord, Rosethorn," Goldenshine butted in.

"The big cats are talking now, so excuse yourself," Rosethorn flicked her tail to dismiss the golden tom. However, Goldenshine would not be ignored and pushed in-between us to glare nose to nose with his former mentor, his fur bristling angrily.

"No, I won't be kicked aside again, Rosethorn!" he growled brusquely, causing a flicker of surprise to flash in Rosethorn's eyes. "I'm done taking orders from you! And I'm done watching you cause nothing but pain and anguish to others! You've done nothing but cause deceit and misery among cats and I watched it all happen because I was afraid you. And now because of that fear I've allowed you to bring us all to the brink of extinction. But I refuse to let it happen! Do you hear me? I won't allow you to let death befall us!"

My ears were left ringing from Goldenshine tirade and even Rosethorn looked at a loss for words. Goldenshine's sides heaved heavily and he glared at Rosethorn defiantly, the former image of the once timid and small medicine a mere relic of the past now. Rosethorn stared at her former apprentice, silently taking in the aura of defiance radiating off of him before throwing her back and crackling madly.

Rosethorn's wild laughter rose high into the sky, reverberating hauntingly throughout the desolate forest. "The runt's finally grown a backbone, I see," she laughed manically. "Unfortunately for you, dear Goldenshine, you've chosen a horrid time to come seeking redemption."

"I don't care!" Goldenshine retorted. "The moment I decided to come here and try to stop you, I knew there was little chance of me gaining redemption for my past sins. I don't expect to have my soul cleansed. Now, I only want to fix the biggest mistake of my life. Tell us how to reverse this. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Even it means I'll have to stop you myself," he proclaimed strongly, unsheathing his claws.

Rosethorn eyed the threatening gesture with an amused expression before waving a paw dismissively. "A noble stance, dear Goldenshine, but my plague cannot be reversed. StarClan will fall."

"No!" I shouted over Goldenshine's own cry of outrage. No! She had to be lying. Amberheart couldn't be allowed to die! Never again, I refused!

I bunched my legs beneath me and launched myself over Goldenshine to come crashing down on top of Rosethorn, sending both our bodies crashing to the forest floor. I heard a rush of air leave her body as the combined weight from our fall knocked the air straight out of her lungs.

Goldenshine yowled something incoherent behind me, but I too focused on the she-cat that lay pinned beneath my paws to pay him any mind. I pressed my paws firmly into her throat, digging the claws into the skin as I leered over Rosethorn, my face inches from hers, blood racing and eyes blazing with fury.

"I won't allow Amberheart to die because of you!" I roared viciously, spittle flying from my mouth. "How do you reverse it? Tell me! Tell me now before I rip you to shreds, you filthy mange-pelt!"

Laughter. Just like the last time I'd had her pinned, Rosethorn was laughing in my face, crackling madly and freely in twisted glee.

"How does it feel?" she cackled derisively. "You must know by now, so tell me how does it feel to know that you're responsible for the death of your mate, not to mention that little apprentice you were so fond of? You got your wish, Cloudstorm. You wanted StarClan destroyed, annihilated from history, and I gave you that. Your blood fuels the plague that will eat away and reduce your precious Amberheart to nothing. In the end you proved you were just like me, destroying the few cats in life you actually cared about."

**NO!** My heart seemed to lodge itself in my throat as I pictured my former Clanmates being crushed by falling trees, Cherrypaw drowning to death in black water, and finally Amberheart deteriorating into nothing as the gray claimed her spirit.

I raised a claw, ready to strike Rosethorn down, as blinding rage engulf me. Everyone I'd known, everyone I cared about was going to die and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I had nothing left to live for, nothing left to fight for or protect. My paw quivered in the air as I stared down at Rosethorn. She'd taken everything from me. I had every right to kill her now, but as I arched my claws to strike, something broke inside me.

Like a bursting dam of water, grief came washing over me in a swarm of anguish. My paw slammed into the ground next to Rosethorn's head, my mind barely registering the sting of pain. I looked at Rosethorn; my eyes clouded in despair, and did something I'd only ever done once in my life before.

"Please," I rasped out pitifully to her, feeling a shiver of surprise ripple across her pelt. "I'll do anything to save her, anything to save them," I pleaded desperately, letting my pride fall to the side uselessly. "I'll become your pawn, your servant, your _mate_, whatever it takes to save them. Please, I'm willing to risk anything."

The clearing fell into a deathly silence as my final words echoed into the air. No one spoke or moved as I watched Rosethorn silently. I had nothing left. I had basically thrown my heart and soul at her mercy and there was no guarantee of what would happen next.

For the first time I saw Rosethorn look startled, her greens completely coated over with shock. She was staring up into my face almost appearing to be in a dazed trance. What was she thinking? What was going on inside of that disheveled mind of her?

I waited with abated breath when some foreign emotion shifted across Rosethorn's eyes, breaking the illusion of the mad she-cat with no conscience that had terrorized me and I felt myself pulled down into the murky waters of a faded memory.

I was beneath the roots of a large tree with wild ferns all around me as sunlight sparkled off of the dew on the tips of the blades of grass. Before me lay a younger more seemingly innocent version of Rosethorn and standing in front of was a mottled brown tom with a kit clasped in its jaws.

"_Please, I'll do anything!"_ Rosethorn seemed to be pleading desperately to tom. "_Just don't hurt my kit!" _

The tom glared down at the imploring she-cat, turning his nose up disdainfully at the sight of her. _"You care more about this worthless kit than you do your own Clan. Why I shouldn't just dispose of her now and drag you back?_ He taunted scornfully, talking out the side of his mouth. _"Tell me Rosethorn. Just how much does this keeping this flea alive mean to you? _

I saw the young Rosethorn's eyes flash fearfully before lowering her head in defeat. _"Whatever it takes to save her. I'm willing to risk anything_."

Just before I tried to make meaning of the images before me, I unexpectedly found myself back standing over Rosethorn. I felt her chest rise quickly as her breath constricted and then Rosethorn closed her eyes, turning her head away from me.

"There's no way to reverse the plague," she murmured softly and I felt my heart began to shatter. "But," she added after a hesitant pause. "It can be stopped. There's a way to halt the process from proceeding any further. If you do it now you have a chance to stop the storm before it does irreversible damage to the Clans, but stopping the plague won't be enough to save the cats of StarClan or the Dark Forest. The plague has imbedded itself too far deep into this world now. Any dead cat that remains here will succumb to the gray and vanish from existence."

The dread that had been slowly clawing its way up my spine finally overtook as it was confirmed by Rosethorn that I couldn't save Amberheart. Numbly, I stepped from over Rosethorn and allowed her to get to her paws. I felt disconnected from reality, barely registering Goldenshine's voice as he questioned Rosethorn further.

"You said that we could halt the gray to save the Clans. How's it done?"

"There's only one way," Rosethorn began softly, turning to stare at me, an unreadable expression on her face. "The blood of the cat used to fuel the plague must in turn be used to counteract it. In other words, if you want to halt the plague, Cloudstorm must sacrifice himself."

"_**What!**_" Goldenshine yowled in disbelief, as my despair left me deaf to Rosethorn's words.

"He said he was willing to do whatever it takes," Rosethorn stated plainly, never taking her eyes off of me. "He must jump into the waters of the pool in StarClan where the plague first took root. Doing that will cease the plague's progression, but the backlash of doing so will extinguish his spirit entirely, erasing it from existence. That is the only way."

"How can I actually believe you after hearing something like that?" Goldenshine demanded. "How do I know you're not lying to me right now?"

"I couldn't care less," Rosethorn stated coldly, making Goldenshine flinch from the intensity in her voice. "You asked and I told you. Whether you think I'm lying is up to Cloudstorm to decide. He's the one that has to die."

Goldenshine fell silent, casting an agonized glance my way as I continued to wallow in the failure of not being able to save Amberheart. After coming all this way, braving death for the second time, I had failed to save her. _Again_.

How could I possibly go back to StarClan and tell her we'd failed. Tell her that she was going to die a second time. This time, forever gone and out of my reach? I'd caused this. The moment I decided I was going to get StarClan back for taking her away from me was the moment I'd sealed her fate.

The sound of paws padding across the forest floor made my ears twitch slightly before Rosethorn near my side, looking off into the black distance.

"Despair doesn't suit you, Cloudstorm," she meowed. "Remember, I've been inside your mind and seen your resolve. When the odd are stacked against you, you always seem to find some way to get the outcome you desire. It just takes a bit of heart to find it."

Without another word Rosethorn padded off pass me and Goldenshine. Her white pelt was quickly swallowed up by darkness as she disappeared into the forest. **Maybe we are alike**, the words echoed in my mind at thought of the memory I'd saw. Maybe Rosethorn wasn't as heartless or mad as we'd been led to believe. Maybe she was just a victim haunted by a horrible past as I was.

"What are you going to do now?" Goldenshine's voice rang out, bringing me from out of my mulling. I glanced at him curiously, wondering what he meant. He scuffed a paw angrily against the ground, looking at me miserably. "There has to be another way. You shouldn't have to die for the Clans. You-."

I cut off his angry tirade with a wave of my tail. "It's fine." My voice was surprisingly steady as I spoke. "If I can't save Amberheart, I at least owe the cats still living a chance to live. This entire mess started with me, and now it's going to end with me."

Goldenshine stared at me in shock. "You mean, you're going to go through with it? You're going to sacrifice yourself?"

"I'll do what's right," I replied evenly. "The cats of the forest don't deserve to pay for my sins. Would you honestly want me to just leave them to die?"

With a deep sigh of resolution, Goldenshine shook to me, his brown eyes tinged with grief. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked morosely.

I shook my head, realizing there was something else I needed from him instead. "If you could, there's something I'd like you to do for me."

I leaned over and whispered into his voice and felt him stiffen slightly as he heard my final request. When I pulled back he held a solemn expression.

"Of course," he meowed, dipping his head to me. "So, I guess this is goodbye, then?"

"Looks so," I responded somberly before dipping my head to him in turn. "You have a bright future as a medicine cat and your Clan is certainly going to need you after all this is over." I paused before deciding to add, "You seemed to always be there when I needed you, and one of the few cats who managed to keep me aware of my own morality. If nothing else, Goldenshine, I'm proud to call you a friend."

Goldenshine's eyes glowed warmly before I saw his body start to fade. I kept my gaze on him before his image fully vanished from sight; the light from his eyes the last thing to go. '_Good luck.'_ Goldenshine's parting words murmured softly into the air.

I sighed deeply before turning my attention to the current task in progress. First things first, I needed to find my way back to StarClan. As if some faraway presence had read my mind, the ground suddenly split open with tendrils of vines all leading in one direction to the far west of my current spot.

Taking this as the final gift from a certain medicine cat, I followed the tendrils. I traveled alone, following the tendrils as my thoughts raced. It was necessary to ensure that the Clans survived, but what I couldn't get my mind to accept was the fact Amberheart would soon cease to exist just as I would.

It didn't seem fair that I couldn't save her now even in death. Did my life just consistently revolve around failing her? Surely there had to be something, right? The one cat I cared about most in this life and there wasn't a thing I could do to save her? Didn't she of all cats deserve to be spared the wicked grip of the gray?

My heart felt bogged down by all this newfound torment. I thought I'd known true hurt the first time she died. But now, with how everything had spiraled out of control and came crashing down on me, the tear in my soul had only grown bigger, the inner wound more deep and potent than before.

How could I face the others or her for that matter, with the knowledge they were doomed to a ghastly death before disappearing entirely from existence? Every step I took felt like a blow to my body, rattling my brain and sending tremors of sorrow echoing hollowly through my body.

With every pawstep, I drew ever closer to my and Amberheart's demise. The thought of me dying seemed to pale in comparison to Amberheart's though. I'd made peace with myself long ago that plotting to overthrow StarClan would most likely end in my death. But, Amberheart, she deserved better than this. I couldn't save her, the silent wail from my heart seemed to be screaming out, but I could at least be there for her to lessen the pain of the end.

I put on a spurt of speed, flying quickly through the Dark Forest now that I knew I had only a few precious moments left with Amberheart. I just had to hurry now. Every second I wasted was leaving her in jeopardy of being fully consumed by the gray.

StarClan was nothing more than a stark, ashen wasteland by the time I broke back into the territory. Littered all throughout and across the ground were the empty shell husks of trees and wilted blades of grass.

I opened my mouth, trying not to wretch as the rancid scent of decay filled it, inhaling deeply in an attempt to locate the scent of other cats. Time was running out and I needed to find them fast. I recalled briefly that the tom, Lionstar, had told me they would gather everyone they could find together in the hollow.

I darted through StarClan, pausing every few moments to try and pick up the scent of others cats, but to no avail. For a brief moment I feared I may be too late when my ears detected the slightest clamor of sound. I followed the sound, angling my ears so I could better pick up the noise's direction.

A chorus of voices could be heard from further away, and I bounded off in that direction. The noise grew louder and before I knew it, I was standing near the top of a hollow and down below it was filled to the top of ashen colored cats.

I descended down the steep wall into the hollow before weaving my way through the throng of cats. I gained many surprised glances and murmurs from the cats there, but my attention was solely focused on finding one cat.

"It's the Kit!" someone called out from the crowd. "Look, Cloudstorm's back!"

Recognizing the voice, I paused, looking for its owner. Almost immediately, a nearly ashen colored brown tabby pushed his way through the crowd of cats. If it wasn't for his ears I probably would've never been able to tell Lionstar apart from the crowd. Nearly entirely all of his body had been taken over by the _gray_, their ears one of the only remaining sources of color on their bodies.

"You made it back in one piece!" Lionstar proclaimed, giving me a quick glance over. "You guys had been gone so long that we were just about to round up a search party when you finally showed up."

I nodded distractedly, trying to peer over Lionstar's head for any sign of Amberheart. Where was she? With this sea of wan cats it would probably be next to impossible to spot her.

"Hey, where are Icefrost and that little medicine cat?" Lionstar's curious voice inquired. "Did something happen in the Dark Forest?"

I visibly winced, unsure of how to answer, and Lionstar noticed. "Cloudstorm, what is it?" he pressed firmly. "What did you find out in the Dark Forest?"

I felt like a sharp bone had lodged itself in my throat. How could I tell him? "Goldenshine's fine," I replied hesitantly. "Icefrost, however, is no longer among the living or dead. Rosethorn saw to that personally."

I saw Lionstar's face harden slightly as he noticed what I had failed to mention. "And what about the plague?" he asked grimly. "What have you found out?"

"Found out what?" another voice called. "Lionstar who are you talk-," Amberheart froze in her tracks the moment our eyes made contact. Despite nearly all her body being enveloped by the _gray _there was no mistaking that glow of warmth and love shining brightly in her eyes. I could spot it anywhere.

"Cloudstorm!" she exclaimed joyfully, racing over to me.

With elation flowing through my veins at the sight of her, I met her halfway before burying my head deeply into her with the satisfaction that I hadn't been too late. Almost instantly, I recoiled, jumping back in shock at the jolt of sheer coldness radiating from Amberheart. Her body was icy to the touch.

"Sorry," she muttered apologetically, although I couldn't help but see the expression of hurt in her eyes. "It's been getting worse like this more and more since you left. I can barely feel my own body anymore."

Her words raked across my pelt like a vicious swipe from a pair of claws. I gagged, feeling bile rise up in my throat before hunching over, coughing violently. Moments later, I felt Lionstar and Amberheart at my side.

"Cloudstorm, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Amberheart's worried voice drifted into my ear as I felt the frigid touch of her nose press into my side.

Fighting off a cough that sent tremors rattling through my bones, I silently pushed her away. A cold chill of resolution trickled down my spine as I realized she deserved to know; they all deserved to know.

Swallowing down the pain in my chest, I turned to Amberheart and looked her in the face. "There's something I have to tell you. When we went to the Dark Forest we found out from Rosethorn that there is a way to stop the plague."

If my misery hadn't already been enough for me to handle, it only multiplied when I saw Amberheart's face light up with unbridled joy.

"That's wonderful news, Cloudstorm!" she exclaimed jubilantly. "I can't believe it! We have to tell everyone there we're saved. We-!"

Lionstar suddenly threw his tail out in front of Amberheart, silencing her abruptly. She turned to the tabby, confusion evident on her face, but Lionstar's attention was directed fully on me.

"I can see the inner turmoil swaying back and forth in your eyes, kit," he intoned slowly. "That's not the full story. There's more, and it's eating you alive inside to have to tell. Don't hold it in. Speak freely."

I exhaled deeply, knowing what I said next would probably tear them both down. "There's a problem," I began slowly, averting my gaze to the ground. "According to Rosethorn, the only way for us to stop the plague is for me to sacrifice myself." A horrified cry came from Amberheart, but I forcibly talked over her voice to stop myself from cracking.

"By me sacrificing myself the plague will stop and the Clans will be saved from the storm. However," I squeezed out painfully, digging my claws into the stone hard dirt. "Stopping the plague doesn't erase the damage it's already done here. Any dead cat that remains in StarClan or the Dark Forest will continue to waste away before finally reducing into nothing. The Clans will survive," I spoke ruefully, slowly looking up to stare into Amberheart's tortured face. "But you all will not. I'm sorry, Amberheart. I never wanted any of this happen. I-"

"You mousebrain!" Amberheart cried, cutting me off with a soft cuff over the head. She was shaking, her eyes sparkling with grief as she glared at me. "You have nothing to apologize for. Do you hear me?" she demanded, her voice clogged with anguish. You did more than was expected of any other cat. No other cat would have gone the lengths you've taken to correct your mistakes. So don't you stand there and try to apologize!"

She placed her forehead against, murmuring several more phrases of how it wasn't my fault, but still the feeling that I'd gone and failed her was ever present. I had caused this. The same war I had waged in vengeance for her death was now the same one that had spiraled out of control to whisk her away from my life forever.

No amount of coaxing or kind words would ever convince me otherwise that this wouldn't have happen if I hadn't broken the code. I was the sole reason for the way Amberheart's life had turned out, I realized bitterly. If she'd just stayed away from me, if I'd never entered her life, maybe things would have turned out for the better.

The only thing left I could was comfort her in her time of need. Her almost completely ashen body was proof she didn't have much time left. There wasn't much time left for any of these cats.

'**Despair doesn't suit you, Cloudstorm,'** Rosethorn's final words to me rang in my ears. **'Remember, I've been inside your mind and seen your resolve. When the odd are stacked against you, you always seem to find some way to get the outcome you desire.' **I grunted out of frustration, knowing I had failed to do so. I was out of miracles this time around. 

'**It just takes a bit of heart to find it.'**

I paused from my brooding, my thoughts racing as a certain word stared bouncing off the walls of my mind.

Heart? _Heart? _**Heart?**

My eyes widened in shock as the word seemed to collide with an image from my past. With excitement threatening to overwhelm me, I withdrew into my mind calling up an old memory that seemed to have occurred hundreds of moons ago.

_"What?" I asked startled._

_"Don't seem so surprised, Cloudstorm," Icefrost told me, still peering into the pools murky waters. "It's really a magnificent piece of work, I tell you. Leafbreeze, as we speak, is currently trapped in a middle plain of existence between StarClan and the Dark Forest. As long as we have possession of her heart she'll stay there. But what's more is having control of her heart gives you complete and utter control of her soul."_

_"Her soul?"_

_"Yes." Icefrost chuckled darkly. "Isn't it ingenious, Cloudstorm? You have there at your paws the power to take control of her otherworldly body and use it for our own gains. As a being of neither StarClan nor the Dark Forest she can travel between both plains without resistance. If you so choose to do so right now, you could summon her here."_

**Middle plain of existence**. The words kept ringing in my ears, making my heart race at the startling possibility. If Icefrost hadn't been lying that night, then there was a chance I could save Amberheart, save everyone from the _gray_. A strong chance!

"Where's Leafbreeze!" I demanded, making Amberheart and Lionstar jump at the sheer veracity of my voice.

"Cloudstorm," Amberheart began, her eyes wide and fearful as she peered into my face. "What-"

"There isn't time!" I cut across her voice, a sense of panicked urgency taking over my senses. I turned to Lionstar, my voice desperate as I said, "Lionstar, for the sake of Amberheart and everyone else here you care for, take me to Leafbreeze now. I-I," my voice quivered for a moment. "I think I know how to save you all. But to do so I need to be taken to Leafbreeze now."

If Lionstar had any misgivings of my plan he didn't show it. Flicking his tail for me to follow, he plunged into the horde of cats. Moments later I and Amberheart were right behind him, matching his stride and progression through the mass of cats with ever twists and turn.

My mind was abuzz. I couldn't believe it! How was I just realizing this now? I was almost tempted to hit myself for not remembering what Icefrost had told from what felt like an eternity ago. This entire time Leafbreeze held the answer to the cats of StarClan's survival!

The throng of cats began to thin around us as we were nearing the back of the hollow. Suddenly, the sight of two familiar cats came within sight as I caught sight of Leafbreeze looking over Brightstar's wounds. Their heads snapped up the moment they heard us approach and with a slight grimace, Brightstar rose to her paws.

"You actually came back," Brightstar said evenly, though I could detect a hint of surprise in her voice. "What have you discovered?"

"Nothing that bodes well for us," Lionstar said before quickly filling her and Leafbreeze in on our current predicament. "But he's says there's a way to make it so we survive as well. And apparently it involves you Leafbreeze."

"Me?" Leafbreeze exclaimed surprised, turning towards me. "What can I possibly do?"

I wasted no time, delving right into my idea. "I need to know the truth of where you ended up the night I killed you. Icefrost told me that when we took your heart that it stopped you from crossing on into StarClan and placed you in a middle plain of existence, a place between StarClan and the Dark Forest. If it's true then you have the power to transport every single last cat out of here. StarClan will fall, but its cats won't go with it. You'll be able to save everyone."

"Leafbreeze is this true?" Brightstar asked, her eyes gleaming with faint hope. "Can you really do what Cloudstorm's claiming?"

The former medicine cat's face showed signs of unease, her eyes laced with anxiety. "I do recall being in a plain forest before being brought back here, but I don't know if I had the ability to go back there myself, let alone bring hundreds of cats with me."

"Please try," I said imploringly, making Leafbreeze's eyes widen at hearing me, of all cats, beg. "Please," I continued, dipping my head to her in a show of respect. "I know I'm the last cat in the world that you'd ever considering helping, but for the sake of everyone else here please." I stared up into her face, my eyes burning with passion. "I can't lose Amberheart again," I told her. "I won't. You do your part by saving her and I'll do mine by saving the Clans."

Leafbreeze stood stoically, staring at me silently, her gaze burning into my pelt. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words that came out next surprised me.

"Are you really prepared to give up your own life in return for the cats of the forest? Haven't you questioned for a moment that Rosethorn may have been dishonest. Who's to say she hasn't fooled you into sacrificing yourself for something that may only make things worse?"

The questions weren't hostile or mocking. Leafbreeze was only expressing her skepticism to see how I responded. I'd before considered the possibility that Rosethorn very well could be tricking, but after recalling that memory I'd witnessed and the clear unbridled emotion in her eyes afterwards I knew her words were genuine.

"Believe it or not I trust Rosethorn's words. And even if there is a possibility I'm walking into a trap, I'll still gladly go to my death, knowing I did everything I could to right my wrongs."

Leafbreeze blinked, and to my surprise the emotion had shifted in her eyes. There was no longer any animosity there, only grudging respect.

"Assembled cats of StarClan and the Dark Forest!" Brightstar's voice rang out clearly to the crowd of cats. "It is with a heavy heart that I announce that in order to survive we must flee the realm we've called home for what has been surely an eternity." There was chorus of surprised and shocked shouts from the crowd, but Brightstar silenced them with a flick of her tail. "I share your pain my friends, I do; however, stopping this plague will not be enough to stop this illness from consuming us. So unless you're ready to disappear and join oblivion sooner than you would have, you'll all come with me."

"Where to?" an almost completely Dark Forest warrior spoke up. "There's nowhere else to go other than the Dark Forest, and even that's been infected!"

"We journey to a new land," Brightstar declared, loudly. "The former ShadowClan medicine cat Leafbreeze has the ability to take us to a new forest! A forest between the realms of StarClan and The Place of No Stars where the cats of our two forests are no longer divided." A large outcry of rage rose from several of the StarClan cats at this.

"Why should they get to come with us?" a StarClan cat demanded, her pelt bristling. "We earned our way into StarClan for being loyal to the code while they chose to break it. I say they stay here to experience the punishment they deserve!"

Uproar of support rang from the StarClan side of cats as the Dark Forest cats looked on snarling and humping their backs at their rivals. It seemed as though the two sides were on the verge of another battle with each when a furious yowl tore through the air.

"Silence!" Brightstar snarled ferociously, making the hollow fall into a dead silence. "Look at all of you!" she spat lividly. "Squabbling amongst yourselves like kits when at any moment we could all disperse into nothing. This is one of the very reasons why we were at each other's throat! Those same Dark Forest you turn your noses up at were once your Clanmates, and like it or not their cats with the same feelings and emotions as the rest of us. I've realized that all cats make mistakes in life, some worse than others, but that doesn't give us the right to no longer treat that cat as if they're not worth meaning. If any of you feel like you can't coincide with StarClan cats or Dark Forest cats, then you're welcome to remain here. Because your hate is part of the problem that first go us into this mess."

Not a single cat stirred as Brightstar's words finished echoing around the hollow. The threat of being left behind was not one they were willing to test against the fiery ginger she-cat. No matter their differences with each other they all wanted to survive just like the next cat.

Brightstar swept through the crowd of cats, searching for any cat that looked as if they would object to her ruling. When she saw no one, averting her gaze down from the boulder she was standing on, she then turned her heads towards Lionstar and nodded.

"Alright then," Lionstar raised his voice to get the crowds attention. "Now that that's been taken care of will every cat here form a circle around Leafbreeze," he ordered, laying his tail on the she-cat's shoulder for emphasis. "As you create the circle place your tail on the shoulder of the cat next to you so that we are all connected."

I silently watched the proceedings from there as the horde of cats began to shuffle amongst each other and start to form the outline of a circle around Leafbreeze. There was no grumbling, no arguments, only silent cooperation.

I never thought I'd see the day where StarClan cats were working paw to paw with Dark Forest cats. Truth be told, I never thought I'd actually play a role in saving those same cats I'd done everything in my power to destroy. Change was coming it seemed, and it all started with these two factions coming together to form one.

"We're nearly ready to go," Lionstar called up to Brightstar. "You should join the circle soon. Leafbreeze has already figured out how to channel her spirit into controlling her heart."

Brightstar gave a nod down to Lionstar before hopping off of the boulder. I followed her progress as she made a beeline for the back of the circle.

"I think that's your sign to go," I said softly to Amberheart, rising from my crouched position at the top of the hollow. It was time for me to go as well; there was still the issue of saving the Clans that I needed to take care of.

Amberheart rose alongside me, releasing a soft sigh as she pressed against me. "Every single ounce of my being inside me is screaming right now to tell you not to go," she admitted forlornly. "But I know you'll go anyway because it's the right thing to do, but it doesn't seem fair that even after everything you've been through and done we're still not able to be together. Something has always come between the two of us. And now I'll never see you again."

I closed my eyes, drinking her scent in. "I wish things had been different," I told her softly. "In a different time, different world, maybe we would've been able to live peacefully in love together. I can't change the past though, so I'm only looking to ensure your future. As long as you're safe and away from harm I don't care what happens to me. I can go freely, knowing that the cat I love is happy and safe."

"I love you too, Cloudstorm. I always will," she murmured sorrowfully, quickly touching noses with me before whipping away down into the clearing.

I watched her go, running over to standby Brightstar before placing her tail on the she-cat's shoulder. Feeling a surge grief threatening to overrun me, I turned away, not wishing to see her go gone forever where we'd never meet again.

"Goodbye, Amberheart," I whispered before romping off into the distance without a glance back.

My paws beat rhythmically against the hard ground as I sped on. I was left alone with the dead silence of the barren woodland to contemplate my looming fate. So this was it? Never when I first started this campaign to destroy StarClan would I have ever envisioned things taking the paths that they had.

My name is Cloudstorm and I have done horrible things. In my quest for vengeance I murdered, tortured, and deceived innocent cats. I aligned myself with some of the foulest creatures to ever grace the Clans and delved into the darkest recesses of my heart to become an avenger. I did this all with the hope that one day I would be able to sink my claws into those I felt had scorned me, keeping myself reminded of the one thing in the world that would motivate me to continue going.

I hated StarClan with a burning passion.

The searing pain, the scorching hatred, the burning rage and anger, it was all there. I wanted nothing more than to cause them the same pain and suffering I'd been put through when my mate died. My obsession with ending them became my life, and from there I went on to commit devious acts that would shape the remainder of it.

I became something that haunts me to this day. The moons of hatred had shifted and molded my mind and body into a cat I no longer recognized. I became something that was only meant to be the bane of StarClan's existence, but spiraled out of control to become someone else's pawn for war and destruction. I was supposed to be heartless and uncaring, cold and aloof to the very world around me, the perfect weapon. But something happened along the way that shifted my thoughts, softened the callous wound known as my heart.

I found friends that cared about me.

Who would've ever thought a little kit would be the first cat in moons to make me feel something other than hatred and rage? Cherrypaw was the first cat to reconnect me with my emotions just by using the simple sweet innocence of being a kit. She didn't see me as a code breaker, murderer, or traitor. No, to her I was only Cloudy, the mysterious cat that saved her life and found catmint for her sick mother and Clan. I was brave, she'd said, someone she wanted to grow up to be like.

And then of course there was Goldenshine. I can still remember the first time I met him. His timid, pacifist nature made me wonder what in the world the Dark Forest could ever possibly want with such a scrawny runt. And then I saw him in action, saw exactly what he was capable of, and learned his goal to only help cats in need. Then came the times where I was incapable of saving Cherrypaw or save myself from Rosethorn. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have never met a more selfless cat in my life.

I was shaken out of my memories as I felt a sudden shift in the air's temperature. It was growing colder, the air having a sharp chill to it as I drew closer. Exhaling deeply, I watched in silent fascination as my breath materialized into the air before evaporating moments later. I was nearing the pool.

Finally, after enduring the trek through desolate woodland in silence, I arrived. Just as the previous time I'd been here, the _gray's _presence was ever prevalent. I padded slowly into the clearing, my eyes locking on the sickly pale color of the pool.

A vile stench of crowfood and sickness wafted from the water, making me pause on the bank in revulsion. My heart rate had slowly begun to accelerate as I drew closer to my own impending death. I hadn't even stopped to give the idea of ceasing to exist a thought. There would be no afterlife for me, no StarClan or Dark Forest. The only thing that awaited me now was oblivion.

This was it, I thought, taking a deep breath and padding to the edge of the water. I peered briefly into the gloomy water, trying to see if there was a bottom to the pool, but the sheer thickness of the gray prevented me from doing so. This was where the journey ended for me. It was time to go.

Stretching a paw out over the water I began to slowly just dip my paw in when a thud of pawsteps drummed from behind me. I whipped around, my claws unsheathed, not knowing what to expect before lowering them in outright and utter disbelief.

"_What are you doing here?"_

Amberheart met my stunned gaze evenly, her gaze not wavering in the slightest, as she padded towards me. What I was stupefied, completely stumped. Why? How? There were too many questions that I didn't have the answers to.

"Something occurred to me after you left," Amberheart mewed, drawing closer. "You said that you could die freely, knowing that the cat you love is happy and safe. That got me to thinking just as Leafbreeze was channeling her powers to transport everyone away from here and I realized something important." She came to a stop in front me, her expression blank as looked me firmly in the face before slowly leaning over to press her nose against mine. "The only place where I feel truly happy and safe is by your side, Cloudstorm."

She pulled back, her eyes gleaming with immeasurable depths of love. I was at a loss for words. Amberheart had given up her final chance at possibly finally leaving in peace for me?

"Well, you big furrball say something," Amberheart purred, smiling at the fuddled expression on my face.

I paused for only a second before licking her cheek and pressing against her body, getting her as virtually close as I could to me. "I couldn't ask for a better way to go than with the cat I love," I purred lovingly, completely numb to the cold of her body. I didn't care, Amberheart was here. She'd made her choice and decided to choose me over an eternity of paradise.

"I'm here with you, Cloudstorm," she said warmly, making my heart leap for joy. "I'll be by your side to the end. This time we're leaving out together."

I entwined my tail with Amberheart, and together we slowly started padding into the waters of the pool. I felt my skin began to tingle as we drew deeper and deeper into the waters. The tingle wasn't painful, but neither was it enjoyable either. No, it was somewhere in between, like a mixture of the good and the bad being brought together to form a balance of feeling.

I pressed against Amberheart, our tails still tightly entwined, as now only our heads remained above the water. We stared at each other, amber meeting amber, our eyes interlocking as the passion from our gazes combined to form the undying strength that was our love.

"Are you ready?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper yet somehow emitting the full volume of the depths of her love for me.

I smiled, taking in her beautiful face for the final time. "As long as you're here with me I'm ready for anything."

Water came rushing over our heads as we plunged under into the depths below, disappearing from sight with each other's tail clasped tightly in the other's grasp.

**A/N: If you've made it this far then let me be the first person to congratulate you. It's been a long road and I'd just like to take this time to open up and send a big thank you out to all of you. YOU GUYS HAVE ALL BEEN AWESOME! This thank you is for every single read, review, alert, and favorite that I have ever received for this story. I'd especially like to thank those who've stayed with this story since its inception back in May of last year.**

**A year ago when I first started this story, I never knew or expected it to take off the way it did, shattering every single goal I ever put down for myself. And for that I must thank you, the reader, for helping me accomplish those feats time after time again. You guys are simply amazing.**

**Thanks for putting up with the sometimes ridiculously long waits between chapters, my weird ideas, and for having the stomach to wade through this 80K+ beast. It's certainly been exhausting to write.**

**This isn't quite the end of the story just yet, though. There's still one chapter left, the epilogue, which needs to be put out before this story can officially be declared finished. So while I work on getting that out to you, I only ask for one thing in return. REVIEW!**

**It can be comprised of anything you want really. Something you liked, didn't like, scenes you enjoyed, stuff you thought did or didn't work, that kind of stuff. As a writer I really need to improve and with your opinions I can set myself on the right path to becoming better.**

**Once again, thank you all for the support and continued readership! The epilogue is coming soon so sit tight.**

**-Lightning**


	15. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

_**The Cloud that Swallowed the Stars**_

He was a complex individual of indisputable courage, valor, and a sorrow too charged to be healed. In the end, despite his many faults and the numerous crimes and atrocities he may have committed, Cloudstorm managed to maintain the one thing everyone else had sworn he'd lost.

His soul.

If it wasn't for the selfless actions of Cloudstorm there's little chance any trace of this forest would still be standing. All the cats old enough to remember back then know the true extent of how severely close we all were to be annihilated that night.

The same night I returned to the forest from the Place of No Stars I awoke to a world thrown into turmoil. I suddenly find myself surrounded by bedraggled, waterlogged cats being battered by howling winds and fighting to climb over toppled timber and find higher ground as the land was drowned by a violent torrent of raindrops, reducing everything into a murky swamp. The sky roared as several streaks of lightning shot across. I feared we had only moments before we were washed away like ants when something remarkable happened.

One moment we're on the very crust of being swept away when suddenly the sky brightens, cascading us in a shower of light as if the sun had miraculously decided to rise. Awestruck, my eyes widened then as a gigantic glowing storm cloud swept its way into sight and suddenly engulfed the entire sky.

As if someone had just jammed a large stick into a leaking hole, the rain and wind stopped. The impenetrable shroud of darkness that had previously dominated the sky was all being sucked into the storm cloud in a swirling mass of rumbling thunder and bright lightning. Everyone stood in an entranced state of stunned disbelief as we all watched in silence as the cloud swallowed the black storm.

An array of faint twinkles caught my eye as the miniscule forms of stars streaked across the sky before being swept along inside the storm cloud, disappearing. The storm cloud then began to shudder and swell, expanding further across the sky in a churning flare of green and blue flashes. Just when it appeared the storm could expand no further and was on the verge of exploding…it simply poofed out of existence.

The darkness dispersed and what had felt like for the first time in an eternity, we were greeted by the serene backdrop of the night sky. The moment was almost too surreal for anyone to grasp, but I knew what had happened. I knew what that glowing storm cloud had symbolized the moment it'd appeared in the sky. Cloudstorm had saved us.

Countless seasons have come and gone now, and with it have come change. Although Cloudstorm managed to save the majority of us, the Clans still suffered heavy losses. The forest was in shambles, nearly every Clan having their territory ravaged and homes left in ruin. There were many deaths that occurred that night as well, countless cats lost and having perished before and during the storm. It was a humbling experience that left everyone's belief in StarClan shaken and weary for what the future held for them.

The two Clans of ThunderClan and WindClan had suffered the most casualties from the storm, with both of their leaders and deputies' dead along with both camps destroyed. It was a tough time for them and all us, but the cats of the Clans are strong and we would survive.

In the moons that passed the Clans combined efforts to help hunt and salvage material to help rebuild each other's camps. It was a rough period, but slowly as the moons flew by, the forest was returned to its former glory with a few alterations.

ThunderClan and WindClan decided to combine to become one Clan to make up for the number of cats they'd lost, although they spent the next few seasons nameless unable to come up with a name for their newly assembled Clan. That was of course until a certain ardent ginger she-cat rose her way through the ranks, rising to the status of leader and finally seeing fit to bestow her Clan with a name that would inspire continued change and growth.

Everyone thought she'd chosen to name the newly christened, CloudClan, after the storm cloud that had miraculously saved us all from destruction, but I knew better. It was actually named in memory of the mysterious tom that'd befriended her and saved her life as a kit.

No one seemed to want to linger on what had happened to their warrior ancestors and because of it StarClan had become something less than a distant memory to everyone. The Clans having come to an unspoken agreement that maybe, just maybe they'd spent too much time worshipping the dead instead of relishing the living.

For the longest time I lived with the belief that all of StarClan had perished when I received a strange dream, trailing aimlessly in a plain forest I'd never encountered before. It was there that I ran into Leafbreeze. Overjoyed, I rushed to greet my mentor but she stopped me from getting any closer with a sharp flick of her tail. Confused, I sat and listened to her tale of how Cloudstorm came up with the plan for her to use her heart to transfer all the surviving cats of StarClan and the Dark Forest to a middle plain free of barriers.

When I questioned her why she'd waited so long to contact me, I was surprised to discover that she had only come to say goodbye as the cats of StarClan had all agreed it was best that the Clans be left to operate independently of their warrior ancestors. With what had transpired from their moons of meddling in Clan affairs it was decreed the Clans be left to live in peace so that another incident like Cloudstorm would ever transpire again.

That was the last time I saw Leafbreeze and since then I've continued my work as the ShadowClan medicine cat; having loyally served my Clan for several seasons now and having taken on an apprentice in that time period. He's a reserved tom, but buzzing brightly with the energy of youth and a knack for absorbing knowledge. He'll become a great medicine cat one day with more practice.

The forest has settled in a comfortable lull of peace, the impending threat of the storm that nearly destroyed us all now a distant memory. Some days, as I'm gathering herbs outside the camp, I find my mind ever so often drifting to Cloudstorm.

He truly was the unsung hero of the Clans, but would anyone outside of me ever know? It almost didn't seem fair that no one would ever know of the gray tom's great sacrifice. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, bathing the forest floor in a warm glow. I gave myself a brisk shake, telling myself that maybe it was best this way.

The Clans had crossed over into a new dawn of peace and prosperity. The storm had brought with it many changes, but they had all helped shaped us into what we were now. Besides, Cloudstorm wouldn't have cared about being known as the Clans savior. The last time I'd seen him before we went our separate ways forever; he'd asked me for a final favor.

I still vividly remember that day when I traveled through a thicket of saplings and shrubs, taking in the echoes of the forest and feel of the earthy, rich soil beneath my paws as I traversed the wreckage of the storm. I'd traveled there completely from memory, but there wasn't a guarantee it would still be there with how vicious the storm had been.

I picked my way through the shards of wood chippings and bark not sure what to expect to find. It was a long shot, but I'd promised Cloudstorm as his last wish I'd do this for him. I scrounged through the mud and bark, digging my paws deep beneath the muck in search. Had it been buried underneath all this or possibly squashed by a tree?

I dug uninterrupted for what felt like ages. And then, just as I was starting to think it'd been washed away in the storm, my paw brushed against something soft. Digging deeper, my claws latched onto a scruff of fur and I pulled, dragging out Cloudstorm's lifeless body.

Upon close inspection the body seemed unscathed, keeping free of scars or wounds. If I didn't know any better it could've been speculated that Cloudstorm was simply sleeping, an almost tranquil look of peace splayed across the tom's face. Crawling underneath his body before struggling upwards with a great heave, I continued on the final trek of my promise, carrying Cloudstorm's body.

The trek was agonizingly slow and strenuous, having to carry Cloudstorm's body all by myself to its final resting place, but I'd made a promise that I'd do it for him, and accomplish this task I would.

Near sundown I came upon the spot that had formerly been known as the ThunderClan, RiverClan boundary and stopped to slide Cloudstorm's body off of me. I began digging. Silently, I recalled Cloudstorm's final words to me before I'd disappeared back into the world of the living.

"_I want to find my body and bury it at the boundary that separates ThunderClan and RiverClan. It shouldn't be that hard to find. I went to sleep inside that log on ShadowClan territory that I used as shelter when I found Cherrypaw out in the blizzard. If I'm going to disappear forever then I'd at least like my body to be near Amberheart's."_

I stopped digging when I felt I'd got the hole to a right enough size before lowering Cloudstorm's body into the hole. I still remember the dull pang of grief that hit me with every drop of dirt that hit Cloudstorm's body. I was saying goodbye to a tom who I'd had the pleasure of calling a friend. He was far from perfect, but when the chance came to redeem himself, Cloudstorm more than made up for it by giving his life to ensure that the surviving cats of the Clans lived on.

Thanks to him we had a chance to experience this new era of peace and whether the cats of the Clans knew it or not Cloudstorm's influence was rooted in everything here, from the youngest kit in the nursery to the deepest root of trees and stalk of flowers. His memory would live on; although I doubt even Cloudstorm, himself, would have thought it was possible.

Whatever had happened up there in StarClan that fateful night all those moons ago, I hope he'd gotten to leave us behind with a smile on his face and peace in his heart. It was probably a lot to wish for considering the circumstances of how this had all turned out, but if any cat deserved just a fraction of happiness in his last moments it was surely him.

He was a legend amongst the Clans already, but not in the way any of us would have expected. Even now, as I'm heading my way back inside the Clan with yarrow clasped in my jaws, I can hear the elders entertaining the kits with the story of the glowing storm cloud that engulfed the sky and saved the forest. It's the tale of the cloud that swallowed the stars. And what a tale it was.

**A/N: And that my friends is the end. One final time I'd like to thank all of you for your continued support and readership throughout this story. It was a long road getting here, but one I'm proud to say is official complete.**

**Oh, and for any of the readers out there, if there's anything specific you want to know about the story or anything you're confused or curious about that I didn't make clear in the ending feel free to PM me or leave a review. Anyway, thanks again guys. You've all been great!**

**-Lightning **


End file.
